FOR ALL YOU GIVER LOVERS

I wrote this as a school project after we read the book The Giver; my teacher asked us to write about what the citizens of their community were feeling when they had to abandon colors and music.

I see a world of shining light

As I lean on my window pane

My music, colours, vibrant, bright

Are the only things keeping me sane

A world of exuberance, choices, and freedom

Where love settles here in our hearts

A land of smiles, laughs and success

Overflowing with life and new starts

A frown settles down on my once-laughing lips

As I realize what Elders see

A world of rain, of tears and pain

A gunshot then a world without me

But what Elders don’t really realize

Half a fact always making me sad

Just as light doesn’t always equal to good,

Darkness is not always bad

I heard the news the other day

A day just as bright as before

Until I heard that today and tomorrow

Will not be bright anymore

World War number six just came to a close

Years of pain through the tears of the hate

But the sky still shined bright, sun cried out sunlight

Which is where most believe is just fate

Angry Elders called for a meeting

In my little town of DaMandle

They muttered out their solemn greetings

And agreed this was too much to handle

They said that if colors were too bright for our hearts,

They should steel it away ‘fore we fall

They said that if pain was too high on the charts

Then we shouldn’t feel happy at all

They wanted to rob us of colors and love

And agreed it was just for our sake

They said that someone watching over us all

Doesn’t agree with me that it’s fake

Fake world, fake people, like a horror book

Infested with a disease

That eventually spreads whether it’s wrong in our heads

Says it’s our leaders that we have to please

But just because pain slashes right through our hearts

Love sews it right up again

And one day, just one day, when all this is over

I will once more pick up this pen

The Elders will see the reason in me

And realize why this isn’t right

Why it’s wrong to give up a whole world of love

Just ‘cause of the pain in a fight

I am meant to drive to the clinic right now

And I’m writing this piece as token

A token of remembrance, of what once was

And hope that this “world” will be broken

The fighting will stop, the pain run away

Love will stop touching my heart

This package deal, either love it or don’t

Well, this is our brand new start

I shut the door to my sleek red car

And blast on my favorite song

I close my eyes and take a breath

And don’t think of what’s right or what’s wrong

I hear a knock on my tinted window

I open my door to a man

Confused, I’m about to step out of my car

But I stop when he says not to stand

I look at him, he looks at me

I study his wise, ancient face

Wrinkles of intelligence beyond his years

And a man of more than one race

He tells me that my great-great-great grandson

Will be the one to free us all

Will save our hearts from years without music

And give the Elders a huge wake-up call

I stare as a cool breeze touches my soul

I let out an uncontrolled shiver

He starts to turn, I ask who he is

He says that his name is the Giver