I Wonder Why
By RW
I wonder why people search
For love when it’s pain
I wonder why people want to be seen
When they are blind
I wonder why people want to walk in the light
But live in the darkness
I wonder why do people die so young?
I wonder why people fight
When they are not being attacked
I wonder why the government commands
People not to commit murder
But they sentence people to death
I wonder why the same thing that will make you laugh
Will also make you cry
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I liked this set of paradoxical statements. They seem so true. The one that seemed freshest to me–most surprising–was “I wonder why people want to be seen / When they are blind.” That really spoke to me personally. Also, on the level of craftsmanship, I was wondering if you were trying create any movement in the poem from beginning to end–or was the ordering arbitrary?
So many questions, and so few answers– just like in life itself. I like that you use the word “search” in the first line, and then the entire poem becomes a sort of search for meaning and answers. My favorite line is “I wonder why people fight/When they are not being attacked,” because it is such a pertinent question, especially with the senseless violence constantly occurring in our world. Keep asking questions, in poetry and in life. It will serve you well.
Hi RW: Lot’s of people are wondering the same things. I’m glad you took the trouble to write them aloud. Keep writing — because writing, laughing and crying at the same time beats being numb and dumb.
–Grandpa D.