We were taught that battles are of steel,
A clamour of voices in a distant field,
The geography of the external threat ,
A name of curse , a debt to be collected.
We hone our wit like a sharpened stone
To crack the shell of a neighbour's ego,
To point out the cracks, the small
inconsistencies ,
Thinking this is how a victory is built,
One defeated conversation at a time.
But it is a shallow house that stands on smoke,
Built by the one who points the shortest finger.
For true architecture is done in quiet dark,
Not on the map but in the muscle of the heart.
The deepest and most perilous topography
is the intricate labyrinth of our own self,
The architect knows the final enemy,
He sees the vast and creeping edifice,
The great, formless thing within that whispers:
Build for me. Point the finger outwards,
Forget the cracks in your own foundation.
To face this shadow is a secret war,
Where we learn to use the chisel on ourselves,
To chip away the structures of conceit
And stand, not in victory over another,
But simply and purely with the truth.
Tonight there's not a wind, there's not a sound.
A sullen moon sits innocently atop the mountain
and the little devil inside my head wonders...
If I were to give a tiniest little push,
how fast would it roll all the way down to the base?
Ah yes, but they'd be quick to point the finger
and then I'd be in trouble !
AP: Honorable Mention 2025
Some people never see their part,
They point the finger, not the heart.
They say, “You could’ve talked to me,”
But silence felt like sanity.
You try to speak, they twist your truth,
Turn calm to chaos, proof to proof.
They shift the blame, rewrite the scene,
Until you doubt what you have seen.
Conversations start to drain,
You pour your peace, but none remains.
They say they want what’s real and true,
But call it rude when truth comes through.
They love the truth that keeps them right,
But hide from any honest light.
They don’t seek peace they seek control,
And call you wrong when they lose hold.
So, stop the fights that never end,
You don’t need closure to transcend.
Pick quiet grace above the fuss,
And guard the calm that lives in us.
Not every story need repair,
Some endings bloom from walking there
Away from noise, from pain, from spin,
Choose peace and let the light begin.
Don't play the victim, don't wear the frown
You're the one causing harm, spinning others down
Bullying, harassing, spreading fear and pain
You're the problem, not the one to claim
Don't shift the blame, don't point the finger high
You're the one acting out, passing by
Think before you speak, think before you act
Your words and actions leave a lasting fact
You're bringing tears to eyes, and pain to the heart
Affecting minds and souls, tearing them apart
Your actions have consequences, that's what you must see
Is hurting others worth it? Is it worth your destiny?
Learn a lesson now, before it's too late
Think before you act, don't perpetuate the hate
Be kind, be compassionate, be understanding too
For the hurt you're causing, is it really worth it to you?
You scorn the work my chisel made,
Yet you have never held the blade.
You see the flaws, call them mistakes,
But you have no idea what it takes.
It’s easy to point the finger with empty hand,
To stand high ashore and sound so grand.
But the sea never hears from those aground,
Only from those swimming safe and sound.
I won’t explain the things I’ve done.
For you have no idea why it's so fine-spun.
Instead, I'll hand the control over to you,
Hiding the hurt and pain that I'm going through.
Let’s see if you can match your claim.
When no one else will share your blame.
Because flipping the game your way,
Is the only way you'll beg me to stay.
I won’t confront and fight your claims.
Because I know you enjoy those games,
Where you deride my skills and learning,
With phony debates that are so undiscerning.
Don’t judge my journey; you've not trod that way.
Step aside, let me continue; get out of the way.
If you think it’s so simple; I'll let you try and fail.
Don’t mock the captain, 'til you've faced the gale.
On this paper you’ll read what killed our humanity
The simple answer: it died to corporate greed
Our race is alive, our morals are not
But we’re just simply doing what we were taught
We murder and steal, then fine and judge
Our hypocrisy is limitless, criminals don’t even run
We point the finger, right and left
And we’ll point it till we have nothing left
If you find this note on a rock
Look to the horizon to see our Earth
I don’t even know what’ll happen to me
Maybe we’ll figure it out and be actually free
But if you only see space, say goodbye to the human race
Don’t blame me for all your strife,
Please don’t seek to justify.
Don’t point the finger at the rest,
For lofty dreams, they must invest.
You alone hold fate’s embrace,
Dreams can’t thrive in a timid space.
You alone bear all the blame,
If you can’t find your way to claim.
If you won’t toil to reach your dreams,
Can others bear the weight of schemes?
When one avoids their own response,
They cast their blame, a common stance.
We bow our head to hide our shame they point the finger and say your to blame.
We hide behind a fake smile and say we are alright but they don’t know the demons we have to fight.
Screaming from within but making no sound cry tears of pain when no one is around.
Waiting in the darkness waiting for the pain knowing it won’t be long before you come again.
I tried to tell someone of the things you did but they said I was lying because I was just a kid.
As soon as I could get away I left that evil place but I’m haunted in my dreams as I see your evil face.
The pain is still inside and I never will forget all the things you did .you hurt me and degraded me and I was a kid .
It Appears That I've Changed Through Time;
Into Someone I Never Intended To Be.
I'm Not Sure How, When, Or Why This Happened;
But I'm No Longer Myself.
Although I Know It's All My Fault;
I Wish I Could Point The Finger At Someone Else.
I Could Get Back Up If I Were Knocked Down;
At Least, That Is What I Believed.
I Devoted My Love & Confidence To Persons I Believed To Be Familiar With;
I Made a Mistake, & Everything In My Universe Collapsed;
Leaving Only Ashes & Dust Behind.
There Were Moments When I Re-Started With a Renewed Commitment To Attempt;
However, I Feel So Defeated This Time That I'm Not Even Sure Where To Start.
If it seems like government
Is out of place
The ideal is to slow it down
to a snail's pace
Instead of getting business done
Slow it down so nothing is won
Take out time to smear a face
Using ethics to bring disgrace
Point the finger, use their race
Dysfunctional being the style of lace
Plan useless monologues
Take up time, cause a fog
Make clear to the participants
This must be
Before they govern
They must be sin free
So far as I know
It must be told
The only thing to pass
Is some type of dress code
We need Republicans to be Democrats
And Democrats to be Republicans
Take the side of God
Or the Constitution
Lobbyist are not the solution
Neither are judges
Seeking prosecutions
We once saw the answer
Was the Oath
How sad are we now
For great men
Not to quote
all of them
point fingers at him
mocking and bully him
He can't live a normal life
like us
He suffers from deep depression
and talks to himself
all day long
However
he doesn't point the finger at
or bother anyone
He struggles to live a normal life
trying to talk to someone
For the first time today
I meet him
He and I fall in love at first sight
His eyes
are cleaner and more gentle
than them
I greet him and then say
"I want to be your friend."
He says
"I need a true friend"
"You can't be my true friend"
Is there a true friend in this world?
He take my hand and smile
"I can be your true friend."
Who in the world wants a true friend right now?
First instinct is to second guess
Quick trigger to point the finger
Rigidly pushing against reality
Swiftly pulls us from actuality
Let's not live in subtraction
But add up grace in its place
Replace reject with accept
To embrace all that we face
Our reactions are a choice
Try choosing a positive voice
Too many changes, differences and loss
Some changes are necessary,
Others don't count the cost
Of change
Change of direction
I am sure I don't know,
This way or that way
Which way should I go
The indecision is driving me mad,
Because some of the changes
They are reckless and bad,
Change for the better
I'm all for that
Should I clap,
Or pat the person
On the back.
Who makes changes for the better,
Why mend something?
That does not need mending
Especially when serious changes
Are always pending.
And need urgent attention,
Climate change, for one
It is a bone of contention.
The force of nature is strong,
Where are we going wrong?
There are viruses in the air,
They are everywhere
Causing death and sorrow,
Heartless people who have power
Give no thought about tomorrow
Devastating winds, fires and floods,
Famine, unrest and wars
Bloodshed by many
Is this what we were born for?
Who shall we blame,
At the end of the day.
Point the finger and smugly say
Things have got to change,
As we look the other way!
Oh where oh where,
Are the Tortoise and Hare?
They're not over here,
And they're not over there.
One of them was fast,
The other was slow.
You'd spy one another,
Wherever you'd go.
Walking in the woods,
Following their tracks.
Catching one with a snare.
Flipping others on their backs.
They used to hide,
Under Weeping Willows.
Now all you see,
Are dead Armadillos.
I used to dodge them,
On long country roads.
Along with a Possum,
And a couple of Toads.
Oh where oh where,
Are the Tortoise and Hare?
Could we point the finger,
At the rising hot air?
You have been accused, no more do we need
Point the finger at mother and daughter
Two Sutton girls with no chance to be freed
An impossible test, trial by water
They think you are spawn of the devil’s own seed
Sacred water denies you, twice you float
Only that of a witch, feet and hands bound
Would rise to the top in only petticoat
Perhaps better off as an innocent drowned
No executions at the bottom of the moat
A no win situation, death guaranteed
Guilty or not, your last breath is taken
By an ignorance with illogical creed
Who pointed your way, spiteful or shaken
And called out Witch. - Now the test will proceed
October 11, 2022
THREE STANZA POEM IN QUINTAIN (SICILIAN) Poetry Contest
Sponsored by: L MILTON HANKINS
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