Not Thinking To Be Aware
Lawrence S. Pertillar 1947 (Connecticut)
How can anyone honestly declare,
They were not thinking to be aware...
Of an impending disaster.
When all the bells, whistles....
And warning signs were there to avoid,
What was told to come and happen.
Not a maybe, a could of or an if.
Near and close.
With the utmost necessity,
And then said,
As clear as the color red.
Not to await until after the disaster happens.
To premeditate the possibilities of its severity.
What should have been done...
With it then to have taken action,
To pay attention and listen...
For alarms heard to hear.
Flashing emergency exit lights,
Directing everyone to safety.
'I thought it all had been a drill.
Nothing real to be panicked about!
Sure.
Sure I saw it.
I saw that tornado.
And my wife, kids, house and pets,
Twirling around, flying in the air.
With this amazing shocking looks,
On their faces.
If they were not able,
To grab on the branches of those trees.
Blocks away from here?
I would have believed,
It to be another neighborhood rumor.'
'I am sure you are thrilled to receive that news.
But...
How can you stand here
Survive and still be alive...
In the midst of debris around you and claim,
Not thinking to be aware...
Of what you saw.
With your own eyes opened wide!
While a tornado approached.
Sounding as if a train coming.'
'Where you newspeople come from so quick?
If I had not been an eyewitness,
I would assume you make up to fake news too.
Well,
Anyway.
Thats when it began occurring to me.
If my wife had been repeatedly...
Threatening to leave me and take the kids.
And pets, Bootsy and Kookoo?
Everything. House, cars...all the stuff.
Gone in a puff.
Quicker than Puff The Magic Dragon,
Could get a buzz.
Me?
I was as shocked as anyone else,
To hear a train coming.
Then...
With something in my mind switched off.
Then to see them high in the sky flying!
I didn't know what to think.
And...
Suddenly,
I stopped doing it.
With the winds of that train,
Passing right over me.
As if it knew,
I had finally earned my peace of mind.
With no headaches, concerns.
Or a past to remember it had.'
'So blessed you are to still be alive.'
'I...uh...
I'm hoping my family feels the same way too.
When they discover,
After finding me safe.
That, for whatever the reason,
I have obtained...
Permanent amnesia!
And it will take patience for me to heal.
Time to put pieces back together.
Amnesia to have it ain't no joke.
'For how long,
Do you think?'
'I'm hoping not to think long at all!
Where am I?
Who are you?
And with that camera taking photos.
Of a man,
Apparently distraught and grief strickened.'
'Huh?
What?
I'm not taking any pictures.
Although I am seeking a unique story,
To share with our viewers.
And this camera I use to take pictures,
Of the devastation left behind...
From such storms.'
'I said...
I AM,
CERTIFIABLY DEVASTATED.
TREMBLING WITH UNCERTAINTY.
AND WITH A CAMERA TAKING PHOTOS,
YOU ARE!
OF A MAN APPARENTLY DISTRAUGHT...
LOST, ALONE IN THE WILDERNESS.
HEARTBROKEN AND GRIEF STRICKENED,
TO HAVE SEEN WHAT APPEARED TO BE...
A FAMILY WITH PETS; AND HOUSE,
FLYING HIGH IN THE SKY AS IF KITES!
WITH FACES FAMILIAR,
DRIFTING AWAY FROM A MEMORY FADING.
FADING TO LEAVE HIM WONDERING...
WHY? WHY?'
'OH.
Yeah, yeah...right!'
'I can't believe,
I am wasting my talents like this.
As if I am on a desperate mission,
Seeking attention to get.'
'I'm sorry.
What did you say?'
'Nothing much.
Just hoping you capture my eyes,
Searching the sky.
Trying all that I can
To touch and hug something missing.
Yet...
Unknown to me what it is.'
'Well...
Difficult for me to predict these things.
However,
I doubt very seriously it's a TV series.
You can scratch that touch to hug missed,
Off your wish list!'
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Written on June 23, 2023
Submitted by lpahtillah on June 23, 2023
Modified by lpahtillah on June 23, 2023
- 4:07 min read
- 3 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | aabxcdxxe ffxedddghe xxxijxaxk xlgxb xmgnxaxxxo xpqRseexottdk exoxxou xeixeqvxx n wqbxdxxxbx xu xwqyzc xm1 e1 1 vx fxxeyxxpcexhboo2 jc xxd3 es xx2 zo3 x rxbl4 4 |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 3,678 |
Words | 817 |
Stanzas | 19 |
Stanza Lengths | 9, 10, 9, 5, 10, 13, 7, 9, 1, 10, 2, 6, 8, 16, 2, 4, 2, 7, 6 |
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"Not Thinking To Be Aware" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 5 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/162522/not-thinking-to-be-aware>.
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