The Poet

A call to arms to use your art and inspire a better world.

The Poet

By

Carlos Lorenzo Estrada 

(Be the Hope that the world needs)

If I do not say these words

Then no one will.

And from that place of silence 

I become complicit. 

I allow hate to overcome love

Ignorance to equal common sense

And vice to outweigh virtue.

For we all have a dream; pray for our better angels 

Knowing in our hearts

Words move mountains, part seas,

give hope for us to believe 

A wise woman once told me...

They can take my eyes

I will find a way to see you.

They can take my tongue

I will find a way to tell you. 

They can take my arms

I will find a way to show you 

...Find a way

Author's Note

A few years back my muse once said in her sultry beguiling voice, "The world burns as we live in colored paper houses." WTF? Is that code for something? Is that an enigma that must be deciphered like a Sunday paper crossword puzzle? Or was it just a pointed fact since I live in California and it has been burning down the past few years. No, I've come to understand there is a darker meaning behind the words. We as poets must always be vigilant to the world and times we live in. The most significant art throughout history was born in troubled times by those that refused to be silent. One word of single significance is all it takes. Just one versus being silent. Write just one word of hope. Not to be remembered for it, but to inspire others toward the profound relevance their voices have in order to make this world a better place for all of us. CLE

Reviews

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[wilmilller]

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[Belle79]

Yes indeed, this piece was Beautiful and Very Inspirational, I really enjoyed reading

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me Belle. Remember the Poet is you. These words come from Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, Edgar Allen Poe, William Wordsworth, Pablo Neruda, Sylvia Plath, and many many others in a line of poets. Whose work is passed down from generation to generation. They began their writing journey just like you. One word at a time. Continue to grow as a poet and be true to yourself and authentic in the art you share. Remember it is not art until it is shared. It is in the act of sharing your words that they find value in the heart of your audience. Thus making it art. CLE

[Tumi]

A great inspiring message to pass across, really heartfelt

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you Tumi, for the kind words. I wish I could take credit for these words but I feel they are merely whispers from those greater poets of the past that simply want us to not be afraid to speak our truth. To give hope to others who feel they have none. Poetry has always had the power to touch a heart in so few words. Always remember the gift you've been given and cherish it well and always share with the world. Because it isn't art until it is shared, and it is in the sharing with others that your words find value and worth within their hearts. CLE

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[Tumi]

Well said, keep on shinning!

[Soren]

Inspirational, motivating, a challenge and a debt owed. Beautifully worded this poem is a call to action for all. Very well written it speaks to the heart. Loved it.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you kindly for sharing your thoughts with me on this poem. You are absolutely correct. The Poet is all of us who are motivated to our art. Despite our reluctance we have an obligation to pay it forward. Inspire others, be a warning to heed, be a beacon of hope. Whether it be in a single word or a poem filled with them. Art is not art until it is shared. It's in the gifting to others that art finds its value and worth. We owe it to the poets that came before us to remind future generations of their message. I'd like to believe that I'm a single word in an eternal poem by some great divine Poet. As I believe all of us are. CLE

[Neville]

there is no space, gap or divide between the truth contained in your authors note and that which resides in the very fabric of your exquisitely crafted & likewise transparent poetic offering & gift you leave here today to be found by any and all those who might be meandering or more purposefully passing .. and I for one for what its worth am write there beside you brother C .. Neville

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you kindly Neville you're an amazing poet and human being. I recently asked of myself why do I continue to write? Why? It's not for fame because I don't believe my work is good enough nor am I ambitious or motivated to be a literary voice. I write to remember because I'm starting to forget. Age slowly silences the mind. The times that brought me joy and sadness are now slowly hiding behind clouds. And there is nothing I can do about it. But write. I guess in some ways I'm motivated by the end. I have no children of my own, so any thoughts of legacy ends with me. But I have these words and maybe some of my bad poetry can inspire some young mind to create something amazing. I can hope. CLE

[Neville]

It seems we write for much the same reasons Carlos .. and for what its worth, I rate your ink remarkably highly my friend .. and no kidding .. Neville

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Yes, yes and yes....eyes, arms, tongue...but will they listen? Poets speak out, but it seems only other poets listen...
sometimes I feel lucky...many who don't usually care for poetry might like some of my writings because they are simple enough for them to gather substance from them.
The rest of us are listening, my friend.
j.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

You are absolutely correct, J. But then I'm reminded of poet's who sang All you need is Love, the times they are a Changin, American Pie, which inspired other voices. Each generation gifting the next with a sense of hope and opportunity to be their better angels. To warn us of our failures. Langston Hughes 'I,too', Allen Ginsburg 'Howl', Maya Angelou 'Caged Bird', and endless more. Perhaps I'm just drunk on the words by Lennon and 'Imagine '. It's not to dismiss the art in general when we write about pastoral landscapes and endless stars through metaphor, such art does have its purpose and value. I simply struggle to understand how any artist is not moved to action by the injustices in the world during a time of historical significance. Not even to elicit one single word of defiance. Years ago I was moved by a quote from a holocaust survivor who stated: "For the survivor who chooses to testify, it is clear: his duty is to bear witness for the dead and for the living. He has no right to deprive future generations of a past that belongs to our collective memory. To forget would be not only dangerous but offensive; to forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time." I'll not write anything of great importance in my life other than words that acknowledge I existed. The Poet is all of us, those who speak in times of distress and those who struggle to find voice. If a horrible poet like me could motivate one single voice to find their words of hope that profoundly changes many lives then I'll take joy in that accomplishment. And by the way I enjoy your poetry because within the words one discovers the remarkable artist behind them. CLE

[redd Brick Keshner]

Your Muse reminded me of Nero fiddling while his empire was burning to the ground… and while we do have stuff to consider we also have uniquenesses to unveil. Hopefully both ends could be achieved through Poetry and the Muse assuaged in the process. 🙏🏻🕊

[redd Brick Keshner]

Large print! No escaping this 🕊️🙏🏻

[Dylan Macadham]

An Inspiring Write Carlos,
I agree, we're all a scrambled mix of of Negative and Positive, and Kudos to you for sharing, and for delivering a welcome Reminder to keep chipping at the (--) and working on the (+)!

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you Dylan, for your kind words. I just feel as poets we have a moral obligation to be a voice of reason. To not leave any stone unturned in the face of silence and complicity due to inaction. It is sad for me to admit as a child of the turbulent 60s we as a species have not learned that we are at our greatest when we recognize our innate capacity to love one another despite any differences. That we all hold human dignity and value in life sacred, despite the circumstances we may be born into. That we simply strive to be better for each other. It is the higher ideas of poetry and our better angels.

[Dylan Macadham]

Well-said, Carlos! :)

[Costa Siwale]

Wow, this is a powerful piece. Like a declaration of resistance. Like an emphasis on using our words for actual change. Well written! I love it

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you Costa, for your kind words and sharing your thoughts with me. The Poet is written for you and comes from the voices of past poets who sought better change in the world. It is a reminder of how powerful your own voice is to your generation. I am a child of the turbulent 60s. At a time where many believed we were on the brink of nuclear annihilation. Yet during those times singer poets reminded the masses that All You Need is Love. As powerful poets like Langston Hughes spoke of inequity in the 1920s with his impassioned poem Cross. I am too old to hate nor do I want to leave this world in disarray without Hope. So I will try to 'find a way' to remind people that we have more in common then our differences...one being our profound capacity to love; unconditionally.

[Costa Siwale]

A very vital message that still resonates in this day and age, when people are increasingly isolated and battling with inner demons, it falls on us the poets, musicians and writers and everyone to extend love and hope to all.
I maybe thousands of miles from you but you have inspired me this morning!