Flashback: What is human?
Happy National Poetry Writing Month!!!
In the midst of national poetry month, I found myself revisiting the works of my favorite poets. I’ve been remembering lonely days in the words left behind by Emily Dickinson and understanding the horror of the holocaust through the experiences of Halina Birenbaum. Of course, I also pulled out some of my work to revisit the mind of my younger self. All of the poetry nostalgia got me thinking this might be a good time for a flashback blog post (a post where I share an old piece of work). So here is a portion of a poem I wrote my sophomore year of high-school called “What is human?”
What is human? (2003, revised 2011)
What is pain? what is sorrow?
Why do they make people think that there is no tomorrow?
What is passion? What it love?
Are they hard to find and easy to lose like a glove?
What is hunger? What is thirst?
Both can kill you. Which do you think is worst?
What is joy? What is pleasure?
They are both fleeting. When they are gone will you remember?
What is content? What is comfort?
Can you feel them even when you’re hurt?
What is pride? What is shame?
Does one have the other to blame?
What is pretty? What is beautiful?
Are they judgements of the skin or soul?
What is friendship? What is family?
Do they come with a price or are they free?
What is crazy? What is sane?
Could they be one in the same?
What is wrong? What is right?
Is one black and the other white?
There is more to this piece and there are many more poems from my high school years that I plan to share in the future. Thank you for stopping by.
What is human and all original creative works found on this blog are copyright of © Emilyann Girdner
