I can change the world
I have the power
to slow down time
a minute an hour.
Move my hands
across the globe
heal the hurting
hurt the whole.
Money was living
I made it paper.
Power was pride
I made you greater.
No need for soldiers
I hold their minds
No need for countries
I broke the lines
No need for questions
I know the why
Revere me
I changed the world!
Don’t fear me
I freed the world!
Now endear me
I hold the world.
No need,
I’ll hold it anyway.
Hold your heads high
I’ll hold the world
Hold your hands tight
I’ll shape the mold
Hold thoughts inside
I’ll guide your soul
Give me your world
I’ll hold your nights
Give me your world
I’ll hold you tight
Give me your world
give me your rights
I’ll hold the world
no need to try.
One in seven billion
all grains of sand
I’ll hold them forever
dust in my hand.
You may notice that it's a bit early, that's because tomorrow I'm leaving for vacation! I'll be gone a little over a week, so I probably won't have anything out for the next two weeks. Everybody needs a break from time to time, and I'm really going to try and completely remove myself from work for a few days. Now into the poem.
This one is a bit different than my usual ones, and I'm honestly a little bit mystified by it. It actually started as a short story (which I scrapped). I think it really translated well into a poem though, and feel like it captures the essence of the story better. The story itself is pretty straightforward: someone acquires the power to hold the entire world (not literally, but as in they control it). This is all done out of good intention, and the speaker does a lot of good: stopping wars, uniting people, etc. But as the poem goes on, the speaker becomes more and more authoritative, almost demanding a worshipful fear, respect, and love. In the sixth stanza it's implied that this demand is refused, to which the speaker replies "no need, I'll hold it (the world) anyway." At this point, the speaker turns away from the original goal, from the good of the world. Instead, it turns to the only thing it has left: godlike control. The last stanza gives the conclusion of the speaker's efforts: the people it set out to protect and save are no more than grains of sand, and it will hold them simply because it can.
In a time where people need heroes, where countries look to political figures for hope of salvation, I think we need to be careful about giving away power. I'm not saying that everyone who comes into power is corrupt, or that they will all develop a god complex. But, fallen human nature is easily corrupted. I'm sure you're familiar with the saying by John Dalberg-Acton: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men..." This is something that we need to be wary of more and more as time goes on. Because things will get worse. The world will continue to spiral into chaos and confusion. And in all of it, we will look to someone with a loud voice proclaiming that they have the answer. As much as I wish it wasn't true, there will never be someone who has the answer. Not a human, at least. Forget god complexes, there's a real God and He has the answers. What's more, He holds the world, and the people in it aren't just grains of sand to Him. They are individual souls, precious and loved. His is the only hand I will let hold my world.
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