What if...
What if no one apologized anymore?
Or the guilt-ridden expressed not an ounce of remorse?
What if justice eludes the mistreated,
And criminals offend without being meted? --
What if we...do nothing to preclude certain horrors,
To the extent that they become repeated?
Could we look into the mirror...
And live with the monster our apathy created?
What if...
What if a country so disdained its president,
It likened him to a terrorist to justify their resentment?
What if it'd extenuate the actions of his predecessor,
All while scrutinizing everything he did to help the nation to recover?
It'd eagerly anticipate another taking up residence,
Thinking he'll perform the job better,
But what if it's just a heifer's excrement,
That gives the other side its verdure?
What if...things aren't as bad as they seem,
And we exacerbate matters by going to extremes?
What if he realizes she'll never love him?
Will the chase become time wasted should he choose to succumb?
It is exhausting,
To give your all and, in return, get nothing --
The ultimate conundrum,
Love, how it makes us do what we'd never dreamt of doing...
But what if someday she misses his poems,
Words as warm and sweet as a summer gloaming,
Maybe there is truth to the aphorism:
Some people don't ever come around, some people never change...
Robert Kennedy said, "Some men see things as they are,
Asking, 'Why?' Whereas I dream things that never were,
Saying, 'Why not?'"
The woman who's been unemployed for a while,
What if she finally gets the long-awaited call:
"Ma'am, I'd love to have you on my payroll,"
No more worrying about how to make ends meet,
Or whether her malnourished children will have food to eat,
To go from feeling miserable,
To actually having reason to jubilate --
Could she bear having the title:
"Latest to rise from the ashes of defeat"?
What if...
What if America -- rankled by this financial crisis --
And the Americans holding on by the strands of Her tresses,
What if we adopted our president's whilom campaign slogan,
Saying, instead of doubting, "Yes, we can! Yes, we can!"
What if, incrementally, we can winnow those digits,
From trillions to thousands?
It may sound like a will-o'-the wisp,
But we deem impossible that which has yet to be done...
What if our best days aren't behind us,
And the American dream is, still, more than just an appellation?
And what if...
What if someone...riddled with infirmity...
Awakens the next morning healed by the Lord, becoming a living testimony?
A man with cancer and a woman with kidney failure,
Both told by their doctors, "Your illness is no more,"
What if there wasn't need for another surgery?
Or another night spent in hospital room 234 --
Not another IV,
Nor reason to take painkillers --
What if, here, in the 21st century,
People could experience healing like in the days of yore?
"Some men see things as they are and ask, 'Why?'
I dream things that never were and say, 'Why not?'"
What if...what if...
- Kevin B. Waring
What if no one apologized anymore?
Or the guilt-ridden expressed not an ounce of remorse?
What if justice eludes the mistreated,
And criminals offend without being meted? --
What if we...do nothing to preclude certain horrors,
To the extent that they become repeated?
Could we look into the mirror...
And live with the monster our apathy created?
What if...
What if a country so disdained its president,
It likened him to a terrorist to justify their resentment?
What if it'd extenuate the actions of his predecessor,
All while scrutinizing everything he did to help the nation to recover?
It'd eagerly anticipate another taking up residence,
Thinking he'll perform the job better,
But what if it's just a heifer's excrement,
That gives the other side its verdure?
What if...things aren't as bad as they seem,
And we exacerbate matters by going to extremes?
What if he realizes she'll never love him?
Will the chase become time wasted should he choose to succumb?
It is exhausting,
To give your all and, in return, get nothing --
The ultimate conundrum,
Love, how it makes us do what we'd never dreamt of doing...
But what if someday she misses his poems,
Words as warm and sweet as a summer gloaming,
Maybe there is truth to the aphorism:
Some people don't ever come around, some people never change...
Robert Kennedy said, "Some men see things as they are,
Asking, 'Why?' Whereas I dream things that never were,
Saying, 'Why not?'"
The woman who's been unemployed for a while,
What if she finally gets the long-awaited call:
"Ma'am, I'd love to have you on my payroll,"
No more worrying about how to make ends meet,
Or whether her malnourished children will have food to eat,
To go from feeling miserable,
To actually having reason to jubilate --
Could she bear having the title:
"Latest to rise from the ashes of defeat"?
What if...
What if America -- rankled by this financial crisis --
And the Americans holding on by the strands of Her tresses,
What if we adopted our president's whilom campaign slogan,
Saying, instead of doubting, "Yes, we can! Yes, we can!"
What if, incrementally, we can winnow those digits,
From trillions to thousands?
It may sound like a will-o'-the wisp,
But we deem impossible that which has yet to be done...
What if our best days aren't behind us,
And the American dream is, still, more than just an appellation?
And what if...
What if someone...riddled with infirmity...
Awakens the next morning healed by the Lord, becoming a living testimony?
A man with cancer and a woman with kidney failure,
Both told by their doctors, "Your illness is no more,"
What if there wasn't need for another surgery?
Or another night spent in hospital room 234 --
Not another IV,
Nor reason to take painkillers --
What if, here, in the 21st century,
People could experience healing like in the days of yore?
"Some men see things as they are and ask, 'Why?'
I dream things that never were and say, 'Why not?'"
What if...what if...
- Kevin B. Waring
