The True Meaning of Stop Signs

by David   Mar 21, 2006


Based of a piece of art which depicts the city and has a stop sign in the center, slightly skewed to the left...

I stand
bare skinned and valiant
among the confusion of the motion
Monuments of greatness are shadowed
by the constant hustle of the city
and all around, time soars blindly
Toe to toe with the one way madness
I stand
Bare skinned and Valiant
Waiting for this ship to come into port
I need the serenity of the insanity
just to live
I watch the iron being welded
and told it has to be something else
to fit in
while colors flash around me
in a dizzying array of whirlwinds
Yet people come and go
and see nothing
From rooftops to street corners
noise echoes everywhere
screams, yells, taunts, love, oppression
hatred, fear, and above all silence
Click, Click, Boom.
it's the anthem of this new life
the war we made for ourselves
in which children doing their homework
are the greatest threats
To my left
a family of ten marches
no, trudges with all they've ever owned
into what they hope will be
their shelter
What they need is a home
But they were blinded to their struggle
by the whirling red and yellow clocks
And to my right
a barren man in a suit shows
kindness
to another man
and is promptly mugged
and left for dead
Unable to move from the shackles
that bind me
I stand
Bare skinned and valiant
With a simple message
For one moment
I wish that everyone could
Listen
I wish they hadn't been trained
to forget how to do that
Because I think
I understand
I may be standing
Bare skinned and valiant
But that's just it
I am standing
still
I am stopped
and NOW I understand
Time is the thing we
savor most, and the thing
we waste more of than anything
Maybe if we were to stop
and taste the confusion
it would cease to exist.

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Latest Comments

  • 18 years ago

    by HOLLY ARMER

    The truth in this is haunting. It's a very powerful message that would do society good to listen to.
    Your attention to detail really brought this piece to life.
    And I have to say, that the ending completely blew me away! It's so bold and raw....very nice!
    Take care and keep it up~Holly

  • 18 years ago

    by Marjan

    I’m speechless. This poem is far better than I thought it should be.
    I loved the way you went into details. You seem like a really
    Thoughtful person. And you described our society today perfectly.
    I loved that part you say “I need the serenity of the insanity”. I
    Think it’s quite true. We all need that sometimes to cool down.
    And I liked this part too:

    I watch the iron being welded
    and told it has to be something else
    To fit in

    The way you talked about iron but you actually were talking
    About ourselves.
    And this part below is quite true. It really is:

    Yet people come and go
    and see nothing

    The ending was good too david. Maybe this poem is not perfect
    But to me… well, I couldn’t find a word that had to be changed.
    And now you go straight to my favorites list.
    I read more of your poems later.
    Take care,
    Marjan

    P.S. thanks for the comment.

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