Not Just a Statistic
The prompt at dVerse Poets Pub today is to write a poem in common meter, but to use some of the tricks that Emily Dickenson used to make common meter a little more interesting. I love an opportunity to sort of break the rules of form, but only a little.
The topic of this poem is one that I’ve been thinking about for a while, and I decided this challenge was the time to trot it out.
Not Just a Statistic
Statistics are eye-opening
But overwhelming—sad
Three thousand babies killed each day
Yet women’s rights can’t cede
Statistics belie tragedy
Each single data point
A mother—and a single child
Ever a mournful plaint
Behind each dreaded statistic
Individual lives
Each one suffering painfully
Waiting to know God loves
Let’s look beyond the statistics
Open our eye as well
To all the hurt souls who need us
Provide hope as they wail
Share this:
Oh the stories of human.. dark and light..
truth is.. in countries like Mexico
where abortion is illegal..
there are as many
abortions as there
are in the U.S…
more women
are permanently
disabled and more
life suffers at
the hands
of ignorance
in medically
unsafe abortions..
abortion as sad
as that reality or
even worse
as infanticide
as most mammals
do has always been
a dark part of human
nature.. too..
and no human
can change that
as GOD rules
THAT.. Nature
ain’t easy
but IT IS
REAL
and So is
GOD as
Nature..
where no
human rules
GOD as Nature..
The best CURE
for abortions are
safe and effective
birth control and the
hands of potential
less blood letting is refused
by some churches supposedly
worshiping .. GOD.. GOD
does not give us
a brain
for
no
reason..
using it
saves human
suffering and misery..
Birth control is the
simple answer
for that
in pill
form
or other
safe and
effective
methods..
instead
of knife or worse..
Ignorance is a sword that kills…
i go to Catholic Church every Sunday..
and fight for intelligent alternatives
to fight ignorance and suffering..
effective change to reduce human
suffering comes
from
within with
GOD of nature..
and never against
GOD’s LAWS of Nature..:)
Strong voice and incredible style. I think you have outdone yourself with this. This style becomes you well. Good subject oo.
Thanks. Free verse is easier, but I think the effort of writing to form is worth it for me. I can be too lazy with my words with free verse.
Me too. Lazy with form, images, using 30 words when 10 will do…this is a good exercise for us and I am please at how well we all did. We can do it!!!
Accepting those suffering, know the complexity that clouds their mortal limitations, is the thing of agape love.
could hear the strong voice behind the lines…the thought to look beyond statistics and reach out to individuals is very much uplifting & inspiring…a dream slant rhyme here…wow…
Real people instead of statistics, individual stories rather than generalisations. That’s what poetry and fiction is all about – and that’s what opens our eyes and hearts, I should hope.
One cannot not argue at the moral issues vs. abortion, but a fatherless child born in poverty to a crack Mom is, for me, allowing a different kind of tragedy. You feel for ED was superb, slant rhymes, four quatrains, etc; good work on this prompt & strong voice.
True and we must see the individual behind the stats on poverty and drug abuse as well, I believe.
In education, statistics often made me cringe. We see the faces behind the numbers while those who juggle with figures do not. A very powerful write with a great title!
Goodness. Those last two lines give me so much to think about. This is a very strong poem.
So true that no human being is only a statistic. No one woman. No one child. I do think we really need to think about individuals & care for individuals. Listening is a first step. Your poetry is becoming stronger and stronger, Linda.
Such a profound & thought provoking poem!!
Beautifully executed 😀
The numbers can be very overwhelming ~ I think its important to listen to each story and provide help and assistance ~
Very well done with the form Linda ~
You really caught on to Emily’s use of slant rhyme and used it very effectively in this thought-provoking poem.
I have to wonder if there were more people really there for women who find themselves in such difficult situations, people who listen deeply and are really present to them, how would things be different?
I wonder that, too, for myself. Then realize I should be reaching out to be that person for others.
So many needs unfilled. It makes us appreciate how really limited we are. I believe that we do have a role to play by our writing. When I used to do readings in my Parish, I always prayed that it would touch at least one person. Mother Teresa said that. Someone asked her how she expected to reach so many needy people. She answered, “One person at a time.”
Statistics can be manipulated as well to mean pretty much whatever you want them to mean. It all comes down to who is telling the story behind them. But when you put live to each statistic – and hear their story from them – it is hard to argue with that.
I took a statistics class in college and the only thing I remember is the Mark Twain quote: “There are three kinds of falsehoods: lies, damn lies, and statistics.” It is true that they can be manipulated, but somewhere in each statistic are real people. I think the stories of real people are much more powerful and motivating. Peace, Linda