Morals | Teen Ink

Morals

December 18, 2010
By the_sparrow SILVER, Chicago, Illinois
the_sparrow SILVER, Chicago, Illinois
8 articles 0 photos 51 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." -Dr. Seuss


Morals, morals, on what do you stand?
On an omniscient God with the world in His hand?
Or are you just rules that a human ordained
Said over and over ‘til you had mankind trained?
And how were you chosen? What made you stay?
How do you live when your creators decay?
Ah, but you’re never the same; you never agree.
You reshuffle yourselves with every decree.
Like a jigsaw puzzle, you’re all tightly bound
So many pieces you can’t move around.
Desperately, we urge you, we MAKE you make sense.
We push you together, but alas you’re too dense.
We look for a picture, a meaning, a face.
We slowly discover that there’s no free space.
And suddenly we realize we’re running in place.

We thought we were headed to a solution—a goal
A society that’s balanced free will with control.
But as time pushes forward, you shove us right back.
If in one we progress, in the other we lack.
Now we start to feel hopeless, always nearing the edge.
We’re clinging, we’re scrambling, we’re fearing the ledge.
As you begin to exhaust us, we notice your flaws.
But there’s no time to reason, no button to pause.
And with nowhere to go and no chance to sit
Some of us do the unthinkable—quit.

For with you comes guilt, heartache, and shame
All of us blindfolded, shooting arrows of blame.
We sing about love in a world full of pain
Where one man’s loss is another man’s gain.
And the lines in this poem, we’ve all heard before.
But we sweep them away like dirt on the floor.
But the dirt’s piling up now as more cultures blend.
We’re cracking and creaking with no sense to bend.
Behold the Koran. Now the Christians are frantic.
OH, when will we realize it’s all just semantics?
Meaningless words, we either slander or adorn.
We forget that belief rests in where we were born.
Same basic doctrines, but a different name to call.
Different brands of medication to treat the wounds when we fall.
No, we’re not so different after all.

So what if we threw you away, with one toss?
What kind of chaos would follow your loss?
Where would we be without your direction?
Your calculated wisdom, your assuring protection?
So many questions, but you hold no answer.
Yet you grow with a malignancy common of cancer.
You disguised yourself as something so good and so pure.
We’ve diagnosed the problem, let’s fight for the cure.
But why listen to me? I’m misguided at best.
I’m only as lost and confused as the rest.


The author's comments:
This poem is simply a list of questions that I've asked myself throughout my struggle with religion. My hope is that these reflections will inspire your own questions, for as Indira Ghandi once said, "The power to question is the basis of all human progress."

Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 11 comments.


on Apr. 6 2011 at 8:17 am
dontforget GOLD, Cortland, New York
15 articles 0 photos 74 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The best things in life are left unseen. That's why we close our eyes when we cry, kiss, and dream."

This is awesome! I really like the part "As you begin to exhaust us, we notice your flaws. But there's no time to reason,  no button to pause. And with nowhere to go and no chance to sit Some of us do the unthinkable-quit." very true...also, rhyme is usually used to lighten the tone, but this seemed pretty intense and rhyme worked well with it. Nice work!

on Apr. 5 2011 at 9:36 pm
Nikiblue PLATINUM, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
20 articles 0 photos 137 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Stupid Is As Stupid Does." -Forest Gump (;
"No one who achieves success does so without the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude."

Extremely well written. The way you use rhyming is incredible and seems so easy for you. I for one can't rhyme.

 

Excellent job.


leafy said...
on Apr. 1 2011 at 6:58 pm
leafy, City, Other
0 articles 0 photos 682 comments

Favorite Quote:
Gil: I would like you to read my novel and get your opinion. 
Ernest Hemingway: I hate it. 
Gil: You haven't even read it yet. 
Ernest Hemingway: If it's bad, I'll hate it. If it's good, then I'll be envious and hate it even more. You don't want the opinion of another writer. 

i liked this poem as well, it was very insightful and asked similar questions that my friends wonder (and same for me, too, until i chose to follow a religion). keep up the good work! 5/5

hopelovepain said...
on Mar. 29 2011 at 5:49 pm
hopelovepain, Maplewood, New Jersey
0 articles 0 photos 11 comments

Favorite Quote:
The ones who say they love us are the ones that hurt us the most.

I love this, but I think maybe in the future you ought to try free verse and see how you like it. Just a tip - you may like rhyming better, and you certainly write well in rhyme. But I just want to say that I LOVE your last line, "I'm only as lost and confused as the rest." I think it's really good that you leave readers knowing that you're not trying to push your beliefs onto others, as well as recognizing that you aren't the king of the world. Good luck and keep writing! (: 

on Mar. 29 2011 at 4:50 pm
chocolate_kisses, Pampa, Texas
0 articles 0 photos 3 comments
This has to be my favorite so far. Controversial topics are always great...It's nice to see you have your own opinions! Never be afraid to express them

on Feb. 20 2011 at 3:56 pm
daughterofliterature GOLD, Portland, Oregon
11 articles 0 photos 5 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If music be the food of love, play on." Shakespere

This is extremely insightful, very well written.  Thank you for discovering my small imput. This captures the basis of my beliefs.  You turned my thoughts to words!

on Feb. 19 2011 at 2:07 pm
the_sky_is_blue GOLD, Reno, Nevada
14 articles 0 photos 61 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Become the change you want to see"-Mahatma Gandhi

Hmmm...interesting.  It is very well written and it's enjoyable to read.  It also makes one ask questions, which I like, and it addresses something we all struggle with: is God real?  Very good!

on Feb. 19 2011 at 4:45 am
the_sparrow SILVER, Chicago, Illinois
8 articles 0 photos 51 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." -Dr. Seuss

Yes. It was supposed to create the sense of animosity often accompanied by opposing religions.

on Feb. 19 2011 at 4:36 am
SpringRayyn PLATINUM, Lakeville, Minnesota
34 articles 2 photos 658 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Don't punish yourself," she heard her say again, but there would be punishment and pain, and there would be happiness too. That was writing."
--Markus Zusak, "The Book Thief"

I understand. It's funny by how warning against generalizations you used a generalization. was that supposed to be an example? Then it would make sense.

on Feb. 19 2011 at 4:33 am
the_sparrow SILVER, Chicago, Illinois
8 articles 0 photos 51 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." -Dr. Seuss

No no that's not at all. I simply mean to say that the unfair generalizations made by religion can be destructive. And I simply chose Chri.stianity on that one line for the sake of example; i could just as easily have said the reverse. You must understand that I come from a background of Chri.stians. I was an avid Chri.stian myself for most of my life, and my family still is. So I would not wish to single out that one particular religion.

on Feb. 19 2011 at 4:25 am
SpringRayyn PLATINUM, Lakeville, Minnesota
34 articles 2 photos 658 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Don't punish yourself," she heard her say again, but there would be punishment and pain, and there would be happiness too. That was writing."
--Markus Zusak, "The Book Thief"

From what I got from this, you are saying that Chri.stians oppress people. I'm just here to tell you that that is a generalization, and generalizations aren't fair.