I decided that this week I would include a poem that I wrote five years ago, considering that the theme for the week is ‘Society’.
Societal values change ever more rapidly as stress and pressures increase, and lifestyle changes accordingly only because we seemingly choose to take part in it and to live it. Many philosophers, like Plato, believe that the state of our life in this world is as it is because of humankind’s collective intent for it to be so. This may seem strange, but it may well be true. My personal response is that if I do not agree with any part of it, then how could it be the result of humankind’s collective intent, even if only one person objects? Or is it a case of the majority rules?
I responded to a challenge in a writing website to write a poem based on a quote by Madiba, Nelson Mandela: “There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.”
This poem is written in the Open Verse poetic style.
Society's Rotting Core - By Vaughan Jones Society, the soul of a community, morphed into a living being of sorts, which functions, as if autonomously, within a realm, a city, or a culture, sourced from members' collective intent. A general way of life - it may seem. A natural succession of cultural values predominates society's core, families. Evil within families, abuse of all kinds, prevail and dominate each little child. Parent's lifestyles set the norm which is perpetuated - ad infinitum. In the inner city, the cold concrete jungle, a young girl's image is encapsulated within the cold concrete walls of her life. A boy huddles in the alleyway, as a drug dealer offers him a sniff. Evidence of the rotting societal core. Up the road, a teen girl flaunts her stuff, a pregnant schoolgirl bemoans her state. Alcohol and narcotics flow throughout, partying as if this is all that there is. A mere illusion in reality exists, unreal, surreal expectations of life. Many miles away, out in the wild, an African tribe lives in harmony, one with nature, a oneness of being, cherishing their children and caring for the children of others; pure love. All raised through rich cultural values. Living free, healthy lives in the wild, children laugh and sing, joy abounds. Living disciplined lives ever taught to take responsibility, to act honorably. Safely in the strong love of their families. The soul of society is set by its core, the souls of its members are families. When the core turns evil and rots, society rots from its innards, and dies. Children ever perpetuate their core.
