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»While You Slept«

by Les Marcott, March 28, 2002

While you slept, the world still turned on its axis.
The sun still shone brightly somewhere.
People loved, people hated.
People died in freak accidents.
People were gruesomely murdered.
Somewhere a clown cried.
A mime spoke the unspeakable.
A promise was broken.
A friendship betrayed.
The perfect stranger in the midst of his imperfection exceeded all expectations.

While you slept, a lonely voice cried out in the wilderness.
Maybe someone actually listened.
Somewhere justice and liberty took a beating.
On a desolate street on the downward side of town, some bum took a beating.
And while you slept, there was a war, there was a rumor of war.
There was gossip.
There was slander.
There was truth.
There was falsehood.

While you so beautifully dreamed, a child screamed.
A line developed, a wrinkle formed, a furrow deepened on the brow of a very concerned mother.
There was a three alarm fire a few blocks away.
Everything was lost except one Holy Bible turned to the Book of Revelation.

While you slept, there were those who didn't.
They congregated where lonely people congregate.
They mixed a drink, they smoked a cigarrette, they pondered, they contemplated.
They sunk into utter despair, brought to the brink of suicide.

As you so peacefully slumbered, some young man was jailed, fingerprinted, and numbered.
Confessing to a crime he didn't commit.
Rock stars reveled in their eccentricities.
The rich and powerful...well they remained rich and powerful.
Someone turned out the lights for the last time, never to return to a job, to a home, to a loved one, to a favorite hideaway.

While you so luxuriously fell into REM sleep, a dollar bill was chased, a memory erased.
A sparrow failed, a dog barked, a clock tick tocked.
A wisp of wisdom ascended from a weeping willow.
The William Tell Overture played inside the head of one deeply disturbed individual.
A father in some third world country consoled and hugged his dying daughter.
Not able to grant even the simplest of wishes.
The winning lottery numbers were...well it doesn't matter.
They are never yours and they are never mine.
Someone predicted the end of the world.
And maybe it teetered, maybe it shuddered, maybe it even wobbled a little bit more than usual.
But the world still stood.
It remains standing.


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The © Copyright to this poem is owned by the author.
Published by writerslounge.net on March 28, 2002 under courtesy of the author.

Reader comments

"So true!"
Senwelo Pilane, May 26, 2013
"Profound; literally saved me from myself."
Nono Nkele, Apr 20, 2011
"your message is so touching and straight forward"
esambe emmanuel, Jun 3, 2010
"I wonder what happens when i'm awake? do i join in the thrill of the worlds motions or do i just beleive that i am but in actual fact am as still as the world was when i was asleep. it is when my eyes take those first blinks that i feel lost, but before that i'm happy the world doesnt stop when i'm asleep hahahaha."
Bongolethu Mtshabe, Nov 30, 2009
"We all see but with different eyes.

thx for your perspective!"
Bartho Geldenhuys, Sep 9, 2009
"The message is so strong and relevant yet the poem is very easy to read and the lines just so beautiful."
Emmanuel Esambe, Apr 9, 2009
"It's as if you were there, goosebump stuff,and my story only happened in 2008 and you wrote it, amazing"
Marlene Cozett, Feb 28, 2009
"My goodness. I could literally feel this poem hitting every single nerve possible, extreme emotionally advocating, brilliant, absolutely brilliant."
Quintin Maitland, Jan 30, 2009
"It has been over a year since I last read this poem, and it amazes me how potent it still is. This is certainly one of the finest I've read in all time. Thank you."
Moemise Motsepe, Dec 9, 2008
"This is such an invigorating poem and its touches you even more because it can be read so simply. I even find there is rhythm within the lines which you can enjoy."
Anonymous, Jul 20, 2008
"A poem that causes one to pause and contemplate."
Birmingham Bob, Feb 18, 2008
"Someone special to me once told me a long time ago that the spotlight of heaven shines on all of us, just not at the same time. You reminded me of that message from a long time ago. Your words send a chill through my body, like when touched by an angle. Keep on keeping on."
Dr. Les Moore, Dec 11, 2007
"As I slept..the sun shone on the other side of the world, somewhere a father told his daughter he loved her, a mother hugged her daughter, a phone rang at just the precise moment to end a loney night and end a desperate though.... ..your poem made me think...and choose how I wished to view the world, not with blind eyes, but with hope! ... Before I slept, I said a simple prayer, and as I slept somewhere something good happened because of it. Keep writing Les, you make people think and thinking brings about change."
Michelle, Feb 1, 2006
"Truly beautiful poem. A jewel. Please post more of them."
Moemise Motsepe, Jan 10, 2006
"Deep, wonderfully written you had me reminicing through my mind what all of the topics looked like on the front page. Well Done."
Vince, Jun 8, 2004

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