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passing the torch
Contributed by
Cancer
on
Saturday, 8th November 2003 @ 01:54:03 AM in AEST
Topic:
Lifepoems
|
he stood on the ledge
his hollow eyes staring down
twenty stories between him and the ground
behind him on the roof
i calmly spoke to him
preaching hollow cliches
that even i didn't believe
promising that things would get better
telling him that he had so much to live for
but, i didn't know him at all
his business suit flapped around him
as the wind nudged him to and fro
he turned to face me
his eyes ripe with sorrow
and said to me,
"what have i got to live for?
i have NO LIFE,
no life
no family, no friends
just "associates"
i lived my life for my job
my work, nothing more
built to serve.....
and i was fired today"
he paused and sighed
"and if they find out about the embezzling..."
he raised his arms
in a gesture of hopeless pleading
"what's left? tell me..."
i opened my mouth, but didn't know what to say
as his eyes met mine, i realized i was crying too
he nodded wistfully, and said,
"yeah, that's what i thought"
he raised his arms higher and leaned back
i didn't watch him fall
i didn't have to
i could hear the collective gasp
of the crowd that had gathered below
the crowd who had been sporadically yelling, "jump"
for the last twenty minutes
and when i heard a few shrieks of disgust and shock
i knew he had landed
down on the ground
the crowd gathered 'round
and stared at what was left of the man
a young man, barely twenty, stepped forward
in tattered clothes
he stank of whisky
shameless, he prowled the man's blood stained slacks
finding his wallet, he smiled
and as he slipped it into his own pocket
his face twisted, with the agony of transformation
his thread-bare clothing melted
into a dark business suit
his dark, ratty hair
thinned and went grey
styled in an obvious comb over
his already weathered face gained fresh lines
his stomach swelled into the prideful gut
of the well paid businessman
and his new smile, was one of ruthlessness
a smile that could not be trusted
he had taken the man's identity
his face, his name
his unerasable number
the torch had been passed
and as the crowd gazed back
at the greasy spot in the road
they saw only an empty suit
just an empty suit
Copyright ©
Cancer
... [
2003-11-08 01:54:03]
(Date/Time posted on
site)
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Re: passing the torch
(User Rating: 1 )
by emystar on
Saturday, 8th November 2003 @ 02:05:58 AM AEST
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a Message)
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Great writing!
I got the point!
Very good work!
peace, joy, luv,
emy |
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Re: passing the torch
(User Rating: 1 )
by jaeann on
Saturday, 8th November 2003 @ 03:07:46 AM AEST
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a Message)
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| you're gooooooooood!!!!!!!! |
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Re: passing the torch
(User Rating: 1 )
by DreamWeaver on
Saturday, 8th November 2003 @ 04:16:16 AM AEST
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a Message)
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| Excellent write .. very well done! ... Jan |
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Re: passing the torch
(User Rating: 1 )
by lovingcritters on
Saturday, 8th November 2003 @ 08:22:18 AM AEST
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a Message)
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Wow Cancer you should be writing books. I was absolutely spellbound, with you all the way. You have magic in your words, Cancer...you could write a book easily. Have you ever tried? You should...you have much talent, indeed!
Great write..poor man...no hope...so like the world today!
Thank you for sharing that with us. It was so great!
lovingcritters,
ConSue |
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Re: passing the torch
(User Rating: 1 )
by bobotheclown on
Sunday, 9th November 2003 @ 02:00:49 AM AEST
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a Message)
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wow awesome man so emotional felt as if I was there. You capture a polluted world so perfectly and I agree you could easily write a book of poetry.
Bobo (Joel) |
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