What We've Been Taught | Teen Ink

What We've Been Taught

January 26, 2012
By Anonymous

Revenge is sweet,
Or so they say,
And this is true,
Until it rots,
Turns sour on your tongue,
Leaves a bitter taste in your mouth.

Terrorism is a disease,
And war is the cure.
Or so I've heard.
But violence is violence,
No matter how you spin it.
I'm not saying don't defend your country.
Not at all,
But violence begets violence begets violence.
It's like knocking over a line of dominoes.
What I'm saying is,
Why tip the the first domino?
Why take an eye for an eye?
Why fight fire with fire?
All it does is blind you to the inferno you've created,
Slowly burning up your world.

“Sticks and stones may break my bones,
But words will never hurt me.”
Anyone who lives by this is lying to themselves,
Because words can bring down giants,
Topple buildings.
Words have a strange power.
They can be as soft as a breeze,
And somehow as sharp as any sword.
We use them so carelessly,
But they are more powerful than any weapon.
Words like “love” and “hate” can make or break anything,
Anybody.
A cruel word can defeat anyone,
But a kind word can save a life.

The world is a cruel place,
Or so we've been taught.
But in my short life I've seen love,
Kindness,
Grace,
And humility.
I have seen a mother hug her child,
I have heard professions of love,
I have felt someone's hand in my own,
I have seen one stranger save another's life.
If life is so miserable,
Why do so many of us love it so much?
Why would our will to survive be our strongest urge,
If we have nothing to live for?
Yes, life can be hard,
But is it not worth it,
When it becomes more than we ever imagined?

There is no hope,
Or so we have all believed.
But even the course of the mightiest river can be changed,
If only one takes the time,
To make a new path for it.
Change takes time,
It takes effort,
But wouldn't it pay off in the end?
We sit and mope that things seem so bleak,
But very few of us stand and fight what we have created.
How long until we realize,
Until we finally understand,
That we must create the change we so desperately desire?



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