A Friendly Face

By Denzella

Mon, 19 Dec 2011
  • 2829 reads
7 comments
 

A Friendly Face

Sign of the times…people swear more often
As if they think it laudable to use bad language
But it’s not big and it’s not clever to swear
But the young steadfastly refuse to care.

There are no standards now it seems to me
What happened to polite conversation and good manners?
Never so far removed from all our dreams
As they are now from everyday life…or so it seems!

How sad this is where we now find ourselves
Afraid equally of the gangs and of the law
So what is it can brighten our old age
And lessen the burden before we turn the page?

There must be something just over the horizon
That can help to cheer up our lonely days
“What can it be?” I hear myself cry out aloud
“Look, there it is…a friendly face among the crowd!”

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Comments

Submitted by Richard L. Prov... on
I like this poem. Your message reminds us of how our world has changed. ie remember how the word "gay" was a compliment whenever anyone stated, "You are a really gay person." For those younger folks---it means cheerful, helpful, encouraging; a definite compliment. Richard LP
Richard L. Provencher

Submitted by Denzella on
Richard LP Thank you for taking the time and trouble to read my poem and I agree with you about the word "gay". I feel it is a word that has been stolen from us. It is for us to find a replacement, perhaps!
 

Submitted by scratch on
"Afraid equally of the gangs and of the law", How sad but and inescapable truism. Like the poem too. Well done. Can I make one teeny weeny tiny suggestion for alteration? Change "clever" to "laudable" in the second line.

 

Submitted by Denzella on
Hello Scratch, How nice of you to comment and give me the benefit of your wisdom. I totally agree with what you suggest. Not at first, because I thought I wanted to emphasize the "it's not big and it's not clever" but on reflection decided you were right and that the poem didn't need the repetition, so thank you for that. Moya
 

Submitted by lavadis on
Very true and said with real feeling

 

Submitted by Denzella on
Hello lavadis, Thank you for your comment. I do so appreciate every person who takes the trouble to read anything of mine. I have, as yet not got very far in trying to read and comment on other peoples work but I will eventually get there and I look forward to reading some of your work. Thank you.
 

Submitted by Sooz006 on
We had a clothes shop in Ulverston called Gay Gear. I hate to hear people using foul language in public places, it's so lacking in respect. I watched the Big Brother Launch the other night, and the language was horrendous, especially from the women. This probably isn't the best poem ever written, but I strongly agreed with every word you wrote. And the last line is lovely.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on
Hullo, Moya. As you do not seem to have been posting awhile, I decided to have a look down your site to try out some of long ago that I hadn't read. I just had time for this one tonight, and appreciated it. A problem for which there is no agreement I think is how much detail of bad language need to be put in to writing, or how much it can be indicated without being actually written out explicitly. How do you feel about that? regards, Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Denzella on
Hello Rhiannon, Thank you so much for taking the time and trouble to trawl through my back catalogue. No, I haven't been posting anything because I got a bit of a mauling and it has made me lose confidence. However, I think I am beginning to get over it and I might just post something soon. As far as bad language is concerned then like Sooz has said there is no excuse for it in public. It perhaps doesn't offend me to the same extent as it does you but I don't like to see it over used and there is one word I would never use. I think also that, like you, it can be indicated without it actually being written out. I wrote a play some time ago about Grimsby fishermen, a very tough breed and these men would swear a great deal so I opened the play with a swear word and by so doing it had maximum impact. I used another swear word soon after and I felt that was enough to indicate to the audience that these were men who swore. Moya