"Life is the dancer and you are the dance."
Eckhart Tolle

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

berets and fatigues napowrimo #20

You lived for the cause

A handsome young man from an affluent family

Well-educated, plagued by asthmatic attacks

You lived amongst the lepers

Never worried about yourself and comforts

To help the people less fortunate than you

You believed in the cause

First and last mistake was threatening a first world power

Though I can’t say I share all your points of view

You lived in the jungle

Sometimes with nothing to eat, not bathing for days

The revolution was what mattered

You were a radical

I think you should have chosen your friends more wisely

You were abandoned in the end

22 comments:

  1. Hmmm. Powerful, Pamela. Very powerful.

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  2. Thanks Julie! Lots of great ideas behind that person and then he lost it all.
    Pamela

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  3. from Therese B -- a tragic story about betrayal. Most tragedies are about some kind of betrayal. A hero, nonetheless.

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  4. Therese,
    Yes, it is a tragedy. But some would not think so.
    Pamela

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  5. Oh my! I agree, this is powerful! You do an amazing job everyday with the prompts.

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  6. Thanks Jessica and I did enjoy writing this poem and thanks for the prompt.
    Pamela

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  7. Nice job! I really appreciate that you always bring in something unusual, unexpected...as you did at the end of this poem.

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  8. Thanks Robin he was not a usual and ordinary type of person.
    Pamela

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  9. Great title, Berets and Fatigues ... Fresh and creative choice for your hero poem ... well done!

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  10. Ron,
    Surely you must know who I am talking about.
    Pamela

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  11. Marianne,
    Thanks for that.
    Pamela

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  12. Reminds me of my student days when we were
    involved in the Vietnam Moratorium.

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  13. Rall,
    Thanks for commenting. Well this person was not well liked by my country. In fact they killed him.
    Pamela

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  14. If I find it I'll send you a picture of me leading a demonstration in my Che Guevara
    beret.I was leading the Teachers for Books
    not War section.All the teachers that took part were black listed...didn't get promotions,got transferred out of their school..you pay a price for priniciples!But I sleep well at night.

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  15. Pamela, it looks like my earlier comment did not get posted so I'll try again. You're doing some great storytelling here. I like the premise and your tragic description, and reminder of the importance of choosing friends well. Sometime I'll share my (too long) Che inspired poem. Well done!

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  16. Rall,
    As well you should. I loved the principles he lived by. He never swayed. I am not so sure about the nuclear bomb threat, we know that was his demise. But he tried to lead a noble cause nonetheless. You Rall are also in my list of heroes. Please send me the pic I would love to see it. Viva Che!
    Pamela

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  17. This is a very powerful poem. Joseph Campbell observed that what makes a hero's journey is their belief in the cause their fighting for (no matter what we as the observers might think of it), and there's no doubt that Che was as dedicated to his as any. Unfortunately the cause can betray a hero.

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  18. JDM,
    Thanks and I would love to read your poem. It is so nice to know there are like-minded people in this community. For me he was pure in his ideals. And I have to admire that in a person. So few of us are.
    Pamela

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  19. Francis,
    Viva la differencia! Che for me was so pure in his cause. He made the ultimate sacrifice for what he believed in. Thanks.
    Pamela

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  20. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  21. We can still be friends, though!

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  22. Yeah, Dan there could be a chance of that. And thanks for removing what you said.

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