Absolutely Nothing by Osoanon Nimuss

Normally I try to stick to a regular setup for my posts, but yesterday I read (and reread several times) a poem called "Absolutely Nothing". It has been making me compare my life to this child's. What does it make you think about?

Once on a yellow piece of paper with green lines he wrote a poem And he called it 'Chops' because that was the name of his dog And that's what it was all about And his teacher gave him an A and a gold star And his mother hung it on the kitchen door and read it to his aunts That was the year Father Tracy took all the kids to the zoo And he let them sing on the bus And his little sister was born with tiny toenails and no hair And his mother and father kissed a lot And the girl around the corner sent him a Valentine signed with a row of X's and he had to ask his father what the X's meant And his father always tucked him in bed at night And was always there to do it. Once on a piece of white paper with blue lines he wrote a poem And he called it 'Autumn' because that was the name of the season And that's what it was all about And his teacher gave him an A and asked him to write more clearly And his mother never hung it on the kitchen door because of its new paint And the kids told him that Father Tracy smoked cigars And left butts on the pews And sometimes they would burn holes That was the year his sister got glasses with thick lenses and black frames And the girl around the corner laughed when he asked her to go see Santa Claus And the kids told him why his mother and father kissed a lot And his father never tucked him in bed at night And his father got mad when he cried for him to do it. Once on a paper torn from his notebook he wrote a poem And he called it 'Innocence: A Question' because that was the question about his girl And that's what it was all about And his professor gave him an A and a strange steady look And his mother never hung it on the kitchen door because he never showed her That was the year Father Tracy died And he forgot how the end of the Apostle's Creed went And he caught his sister making out on the back porch And his mother and father never kissed or even talked And the girl around the corner wore too much makeup That made him cough when he kissed her but he kissed her anyway because that was the thing to do And at 3am he tucked himself into bed his father snoring soundly. That's why on the back of a brown paper bag he tried another poem And he called it 'Absolutely Nothing' Because that's what it was really all about And he gave himself an A and a slash on each damned wrist And he hung it on the bathroom door because this time he didn't think he could reach the kitchen.

State of Mind

Neither of them knew what it would come to,

but in the end, happiness was just their misconception.

Most people want to believe in something bigger then themselves. When it comes down to it, they love the idea of loving.

Drifter

He stopped us, wanting only pocket change.
Of course we paid him.
How much more harm could he have done to himself?

We are the choices we make.

Heads or Tails?

I never want to make
anymore decisions.

Letting a coin decide our fate is venturesome. Every choice we make sculpts us. What decisions have you made that changed who you are or what you are?

Repercussions

I just sat and watched
as you slowly destroyed your life.

People don't understand that their addictions have repercussions on their loved ones. When they're gone, who will teach the younger generations right from wrong?

Enemies

They sought to find friends out of foes;
and turn enemies into loved ones.

Too many people go through life while holding grudges from their past. Life is far too short to take revenge on everyone who deserves it.

Lost Time

He broke his clock, never to be late again.

Time always goes so fast there isn't really a reason to document it. Whether you were late or on time to some meeting 15 years ago, how is that effecting you today? Has your life changed from missing school in 3rd grade or forgetting to pick up your daughter at softball practice?

Please, Come in

Please, come in.
I promise you will never leave.

I hear to much of convoluted relationships where neither of them leave because they have worked to hard to try and perfect it. Overlooking is sometimes easier than complete disbandment.

Taking Leave

The cold silent morning would come ever to quickly.

It still amazes me how people deal with taking their leave. By feeling inferior to death, the only humanly possible thing we can do is to take it into our own hands.

Commitments

I forced myself to lose your ring,
I never want to be reminded of you.

Some commitments you'll take on head first because you feel you want it, but the minute it becomes impossible to fulfill, you're glad to have left it.

I'll Stop Tomorrow

What's one more day?

The first step to healing, is realizing how much harm you're doing. Whether it's a serious problem or just a bad habit, one day can change a life.

Invisible Ink

I only write without ink because I don't like to make mistakes.

So what if you're wrong? Chances are, you'll get something out of your mistake. Who knows maybe next wrong answer you say, could help you discover new a way of thinking.

Finally Completed

So what if it took all night? It was worth it.

Do you even finish have the things you start. You'd be amazed at how good it feels to see your completed work in action.

Adulthood

This is supposed to be the greatest day of our lives?

I never got the point of big ceremonies for graduations. They say it's a passageway into adulthood, but whatever happened to fighting a tiger?

Picture Frame

He was our world, our savior. He was genuine, magnificent, determined. But you didn't know him. To you, he might as well just be another blank frame on the wall.

Have you ever been to a museum? What do you remember the most? I've always liked the countless photos they have on display. Those set individuals, did much more then what was written about them in the history books. Next time you see a portrait, keep in mind that they meant the world to someone, whether you knew them or not.

Lifestyle

They didn't care about the job, they only wanted the lifestyle.

Do you even like your job? Or are you just in it for the perks it brings? Just because you are relatively good at what you do, doesn't mean you can't look for a better career.

Mystery Ahead

It opens a portal to where ever it's fastened,
but where is leads remains a mystery.

Do you like taking chances? Most people don't, these people never live life to it's full potential. Why not go buy a one-way train ticket to "Surprise me"?

Tangled

And that is how it grew, every tangle and curl intact.

Some things in life wouldn't be as beautiful if not entangled in their own web. What are things in your life that you left to become tangled then prayed they unraveled?

Recipe

You follow the recipe, every spice, pinch, and spoon.
But a good chef knows, the recipe is never right.

When was the last time you followed a recipe but it still came out in error? Next time, cook with your nose instead of a book.

Obsolete

Even though they knew it would never be used again, they kept it for the memories of the chore.

Are there any chores or hobbies that you miss doing because they have become obsolete? Or has that chore become easier to do because of technology? Some things will never come back in style, so enjoy them while you can.