I'm delighted with this poem, mainly because I've beaten that horrid depressing twist I have on all of my poems. A lot of people have read this poem, and I've had loads of positive feedback.. I'd like to just say first that this is completely fictitious. The story-line is solely for the purpose of the lesson that the little boy learned. It's about how small little moments, insignificant at the time they're happening, can have a massive influence on us.
I like to think that my parents, in any and all of their weaknesses, were the ones who taught me how to be a human.
I read it in a book once, that when children see their parents cry, they realise that their parents are human too. They can suddenly relate with their emotions, whether they're sad themselves or not. And that's how they bond.
In a way, I think that's how we all bond. I knew a girl a few months ago, who I began a friendship with. She was a really energetic and bubbly girl, always full of life, and I felt this distance between us because I'm only capable of a fraction of her energy and happiness, on a good day.
Anyway one day something, significant to her, happened and she was really upset. And it was that day that our friendship really began. She let me in, and I comforted her while she cried. It was that day that she showed me she was human, and I could relate to her. It was the first and only thing we've ever had in common.
Our friendship didn't last though, but that's not important. No names will be mentioned.
I've considered dedications for this one. My first thought was to dedicate it to the little stranger I met on the bus on my way home from college one day, who actually inspired the poem, but then I thought against it.
I thought against it for two reasons. The first is the fact that I have no idea what the little girl's name was, so that could pose a problem in the naming process. And the second, is that she didn't actually do what the story is explaining. You see, the woman that she was sitting beside on the bus was texting on her phone while the little girl kept asking what was wrong with me. I had had a bad day, and I was a little upset, staring out the window in silence, and it was there I thought to myself how nice it was to hear the little girl wondering what was wrong. She didn't understand, of course, but I like to think that woman, her mother I believe, would teach her someday.
So my conclusion, when it comes to the dedications, was to dedicate this one to my parents. They have taught me so much.. All the basics, the necessary and the somewhat useless. I know many things most people don't. I think about things those around me are either oblivious to, or ignorant toward.. And I consider things that almost everyone takes for granted.
But out of all that, I know what it truly feels like to be human. And to know another human. Not from their appearance, or even by their words. But by the things they do, and how they do them. It's what they don't show at first sight that I see.
So, thank you Mum and Dad.. I'll be forever grateful x
A Little Lesson for the Big World
You had a real bad day,
The first of many that would follow.
You were made redundant from your job,
And had no idea how you would get through tomorrow.
Your boss was an arrogant bully,
Who gave you less credit than you earned.
And when you told your fellow colleagues,
Not a single one of them was concerned.
You came home to an unstable household,
With an absentee husband there,
Who would control your every move,
But pull away when you got near.
He drank more than recommended,
And stayed out late with God knows who.
At times you thought he was being unfaithful,
But then you assured yourself that he chose you.
You got up early every morning,
To prepare your little boy for his day.
You'd put on a brave face in front of him,
Pretending to be okay.
You thought he would think you were weak,
If he seen his Mummy cry.
But I think you taught him a lesson,
When you opened up and let him inside.
He didn't need to know all the details
About why your day was so bad.
He just needed to know that even adults,
Sometimes feel a little sad.
You squatted to his level,
And looked into his innocent eyes.
His little eyes set on yours,
As he asks you why his Mummy cries.
You know you can't ignore him,
This is something he needs to know.
You consider things for a moment,
Your job is gone, and your husband needs to go.
You sit down beside him, on the floor,
And look him in the face.
Your tears still stream down your soft cheeks,
As your little boy sinks into your embrace.
You just say you had a bad day,
That everyone has them in the world,
We all cry for our own reasons,
Every boy and every girl.
Your little boy pulled away after you said this,
And took a curious look around.
He stood up and got a tissue,
Then sat back down on the ground.
On handing you the tissue,
He gave you a little smile.
That smile that shows you you've been victorious,
Through all your defeats, all the while.
It was in that moment, you taught your child,
How to be a human: loving and true.
And it's because of that single moment,
That I'm acknowledging that it was you.
You're the one who taught him that lesson.
You're the person who showed him how painful reality can be.
So even though I'm just a stranger, having a bad day,
Your son still cares for me.
I don’t have the severity of problems, like you do,
As I’m younger by many years.
But your little boy remembers that we all cry for our own reasons,
As he hands me a tissue to dry my tears.
15 April 2016
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