Beth Camp Historical Fiction

Saturday, August 02, 2008

If I had to . . .

If I had to,
I could put my hand
through melted glass
like Alice, and go where
roses grow white
and are painted red
as the Queen shrieks
in the garden. Fearful of
my own head, I would
paint as fast as any
artist could
until the Queen is silent.

f I had to, I could
forget about who is
in the White House, just who
invoked presidential powers
to send in anonymous thousands,
so many to die.

Like an escape artist, I read
the paper fitfully,
hoping not to see
those numbers,
over 4,000 dead,
over five years of war.

If I had to, I could
walk countless miles,
forego imported bananas,
wear another sweater in winter,
turn the lights off
one by one,
think about polar bears
on melting ice floes.
I could stop
driving my car, if I had to.

A Sunday Scribbling prompt: If I had to . . .

10 comments:

  1. I hope you never have to! You are a voice for sanity as well as a good writer.

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  2. Hello! I just caught up with you here ... am I slow or what? Changing your listing at A Writer's Edge ...

    Georganna @ A Writer's Edge

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  3. Oh, yes, some things we could do because it would make a better world. Good writing!

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  4. great post from the sublime to the ridiculous to the drudgery of reality - the "have to's" cover a multitude of sins, don't they???

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  5. If I want to I could
    not read a news item
    never rant and rave
    keep my opinion to myself
    If I wanted to.

    But it would be to easy.

    b

    Very good...thank you for sending it out into the world.

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  6. great post - if I had to....like the twist!

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  7. very cool post! i loved your writing, honest and show the ugly truth of the world at times..
    :) be well

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  8. thanks for coming to my blog and for your lovely comments :) I too hope to see them in print someday :)
    be well

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  9. Anonymous12:00 PM

    I was just visiting your blog after I got your comment, and I'm glad I did. This is a great post - so much to think about.

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  10. Anonymous12:00 PM

    I was just visiting your blog after I got your comment, and I'm glad I did. This is a great post - so much to think about.

    ReplyDelete