A poem ("oh no", you groan)

[ManInJapan]

I went through a poetry writing phase several years ago. I even sometimes stood on a stage and read aloud.

First, it was all highly personalised, subjective anger, sarcasm and bitterness - a cathartic vent for the mounting frustration I felt in my own life ..... my job, my home life, my daily culture clashes with my adopted home of Japan.
Then, gradually, as the bile was slowly and inexorably purged like a self exorcism, I turned away from toxic introspection and began a more reasoned observation of the world in general.
Alas, I didn't have a sudden, joyful epiphany - my anger simply turned to resigned sadness as, looking around me, I saw what people and societies worldwide had willingly allowed themselves to become.
Stupid dogmas - social, political, religious or worse -now dictate to us what is right and wrong, good and bad, moral and immoral. And, in so doing, they make us lose sight of what actually makes us caring and empathetic individuals, family members, friends, colleagues ..... and even passing strangers

This poem came out of that time and those feelings.

THE TRUE DEADLY SINS

The deadliest of sins are regarded as seven
Yet, in truth, there are far, far more.
Not those which are used to shame guilt-filled fools
But the real sins which all should abhor

Boxes of tools just gone to rust
Cobwebbed bicycles years unridden
Wise musings long since lost to time
Alongside poetry left unwritten

Countless projects never started
Yet more abandoned and unfinished
So many journeys never made
Old memories, year by year, diminished

Paintings that are never painted
Joining sculptures never carved
Fine wines and foods unrelished
Whilst knowing elsewhere others starve

Books just gathering dust, unread
Sweet music left unplayed
Important movies never watched
Once treasured photos left to fade

Endearments that aren't whispered
And apologies that aren't given
Secrets festering undisclosed
Wounds from others unforgiven

Small joys left uncelebrated
Peaceful moments seldom taken
Witty company unappreciated
Dear friends that are forsaken

Grave truths left silently unvoiced
True love that's never truly valued
Ambitions pushed aside by fear
Regrets and grudges long accrued

Wishful dreams being never realised
And myriad promises never kept
Keen passions too long unembraced
In a life not lived, just slept

These then, are the true deadly sins
More damning than from any priest
They’re being blind to what's truly important,
And seeing only what matters the least

[Stormheart]

Unfortunately, I have to admit to being guilty of far too many of these...

[ManInJapan]

Unfortunately, I have to admit to being guilty of far too many of these...

Aren't we all, sir - aren't we all.

[Squidy53]

Ah, no-one's perfect. Just don't show my wife.

[bucketfoot-al]

Boy, that really hit home. Truth there.

As a BIG fan of all things Japanese, I am curious about so many things regarding "how you got there". Do you speak the language? (A must in order to truly be able to appreciate any different culture and people. Language is where "the culture lies" - or, in the case of the USA, where it does NOT - because the USA does not have any "culture" as that term is understood anywhere else. Its what will be the ultimate death of the American experiment. Even though I've lived here for more than half a century, any time I go back to Croatia or Serbia I feel instantly at home. Like putting on an old well-worn glove. Social expectations and curtesies instantly return, as does a feeling of being in a community that is in many ways an extension of time-worn, and well-understood, family relationships - that feeling does not exist any longer in the USA at all - of course, its only because I am as equally fluent in both languages - and their regional dialects - as I am in English. Without that it would be a quite different and foreign experience.)

Anyways, I've often said that, in another life, I would have liked to have been born Japanese, as I have a GREAT admiration of their culture, and particularly of its orderliness. I am an "Order before anything else" kind of man.

I am also an amateur historian of the Battleship Yamato, as the story of its mission, and its historical meaning to the people of Japan, "grabbed me" when I first read about it 20 years or so ago. You may want to peruse my website dedicated to it ... you might get lost while doing it too ... its pretty comprehensive The Lycos servers are wonky, BTW, and if you get a "proxy error" just keep trying later. Its up most days.

LINK BELOW:

http://www.battleshipyamato.com/


.

[bucketfoot-al]

Heh - I realize my last post went a bit far afield, but to emphasize, I enjoyed your poem as I found it poignant and thought provoking!

[ManInJapan]

Boy, that really hit home. Truth there.

As a BIG fan of all things Japanese, I am curious about so many things regarding "how you got there". Do you speak the language? (A must in order to truly be able to appreciate any different culture and people. Language is where "the culture lies" - or, in the case of the USA, where it does NOT - because the USA does not have any "culture" as that term is understood anywhere else. Its what will be the ultimate death of the American experiment. Even though I've lived here for more than half a century, any time I go back to Croatia or Serbia I feel instantly at home. Like putting on an old well-worn glove. Social expectations and curtesies instantly return, as does a feeling of being in a community that is in many ways an extension of time-worn, and well-understood, family relationships - that feeling does not exist any longer in the USA at all - of course, its only because I am as equally fluent in both languages - and their regional dialects - as I am in English. Without that it would be a quite different and foreign experience.)

Anyways, I've often said that, in another life, I would have liked to have been born Japanese, as I have a GREAT admiration of their culture, and particularly of its orderliness. I am an "Order before anything else" kind of man.

I am also an amateur historian of the Battleship Yamato, as the story of its mission, and its historical meaning to the people of Japan, "grabbed me" when I first read about it 20 years or so ago. You may want to peruse my website dedicated to it ... you might get lost while doing it too ... its pretty comprehensive The Lycos servers are wonky, BTW, and if you get a "proxy error" just keep trying later. Its up most days.

LINK BELOW:

http://www.battleshipyamato.com/


.

Hi Al,

I'm truly sorry for not answering your heartfelt and extremely insightful reply much earlier. I often don't go online for days on end and Gmail doesn't alert me when I have responses to my posts on this forum.

I'll try to answer your questions as best I can.
I came to Japan - unwillingly - 18 years ago; I met and married a Japanese lady in London, then had to follow her here when her father became gravely unwell. Because of my initial unwillingness, I stubbornly refused to learn more of the language than was absolutely necessary - but eventually, also being a historian at heart, I started to embrace the culture. It's not perfect (no society is) - people get wound up here about the most trivial matters and suicide is rife. On the other hand, there are virtually no guns here and nobody gives a hoot about religion (or the conflict and intolerance it inevitably brings in its wake).

Regarding your own adopted country, I have never felt any need to actually visit the US as the occupation forces never actually went home after WWII - and so I basically live in the 51st state of America. I'm also very perturbed about the political system over there at present and wouldn't feel comfortable visiting until after the current period of crisis passes (if, indeed, it ever does).

Your Yamato site is incredibly comprehensive! Truth be told, I know more about imperial Japanese swords (including naval blades) than I do about ships - even though I come from a naval family.

I will probably spend the rest of my days here now. Certainly, I don't recognise the UK I left behind anymore - and Japan is the gift which keeps on giving for any true history buff!

Thank you again!

[ManInJapan]

Heh - I realize my last post went a bit far afield, but to emphasize, I enjoyed your poem as I found it poignant and thought provoking!

:

[Chefblades]

Beautifully written.
I wanted to write something about how that poem made me feel... just lost for words,
Elegant and poignant
Thank you
Andy