Thematic Poems
By Anna Schlipp
The Definition of Love
From parent’s embrace to lover’s tender kiss
Seen as a commodity of the rich and the poor man’s sole possession
It comes in the night like a thief to steal away lives to poisonous bliss
And turns rough wounds to sweet scars like a touch of heaven
For the old, love’s cost was a price far too high for the bulk of society
To have money and respect took place over such an indulgence
They hoped to have plenty in both life and death, but only reaped anxiety
Wealth and power became their obsession, keeping their hearts in silence
But it is in youth that passion burns hottest and brightest
For them, love was all they wished pursued through bright blue skies and murky black waters
They lived penniless in their desperate search for what had less substance than dust
Yet gave more of a reason to live than any amount of treasure or dollars
Love is present in every life, whether its role is large or small
It will trick and maim, hurt and heal, but all will heed its call
To Be Old: To Be Young
It is in the ancient things of the world where wisdom is found
Yet learning and innovation enhance the lives of the living
The ways of old that held wisdom once, may be birthed from decaying roots
To be old is to be wise, prepared by life’s many battles for the role of teacher
Yet the old left no place for love or kindness nor felt the necessity of emotion
They sought the power and respect denied them in the times long passed
None realized that those alone could not sustain their souls
It was the young who saw the need for emotion over wealth
They threw caution to the wind and sought the invisible in place of the physical
To love and be loved was their life’s pursuit and soul desire
For they saw the value in human emotion that the old had missed
To Seek Meaning
Gold and silver jingle in the pockets of the wealthy like the sound of siren’s voice
It calls to the poor with its music, laughing at their lack and salting their wounds
Power and respect glimmered on the horizon with promises of life
They were sure it would give them all they had longed for before
The money would bring with it new life and chances better than the old
From money would come power and power would bring respect
Everything they had ever dreamed of would be in their grasp
But no matter the respect, something continued to ache
Their bones groaned for more, longing for satisfaction
None to be found and none to be bought
Only pain and loneliness bred by wealth
Jealous and worry plagued their hearts
No respect gave them rest or pleasure
Evil emotions gripped their souls
No solace found in money
No love found in respect
No relief found in coin
Only emptiness
Only anger
Only loss
By Anna Schlipp
The Definition of Love
From parent’s embrace to lover’s tender kiss
Seen as a commodity of the rich and the poor man’s sole possession
It comes in the night like a thief to steal away lives to poisonous bliss
And turns rough wounds to sweet scars like a touch of heaven
For the old, love’s cost was a price far too high for the bulk of society
To have money and respect took place over such an indulgence
They hoped to have plenty in both life and death, but only reaped anxiety
Wealth and power became their obsession, keeping their hearts in silence
But it is in youth that passion burns hottest and brightest
For them, love was all they wished pursued through bright blue skies and murky black waters
They lived penniless in their desperate search for what had less substance than dust
Yet gave more of a reason to live than any amount of treasure or dollars
Love is present in every life, whether its role is large or small
It will trick and maim, hurt and heal, but all will heed its call
To Be Old: To Be Young
It is in the ancient things of the world where wisdom is found
Yet learning and innovation enhance the lives of the living
The ways of old that held wisdom once, may be birthed from decaying roots
To be old is to be wise, prepared by life’s many battles for the role of teacher
Yet the old left no place for love or kindness nor felt the necessity of emotion
They sought the power and respect denied them in the times long passed
None realized that those alone could not sustain their souls
It was the young who saw the need for emotion over wealth
They threw caution to the wind and sought the invisible in place of the physical
To love and be loved was their life’s pursuit and soul desire
For they saw the value in human emotion that the old had missed
To Seek Meaning
Gold and silver jingle in the pockets of the wealthy like the sound of siren’s voice
It calls to the poor with its music, laughing at their lack and salting their wounds
Power and respect glimmered on the horizon with promises of life
They were sure it would give them all they had longed for before
The money would bring with it new life and chances better than the old
From money would come power and power would bring respect
Everything they had ever dreamed of would be in their grasp
But no matter the respect, something continued to ache
Their bones groaned for more, longing for satisfaction
None to be found and none to be bought
Only pain and loneliness bred by wealth
Jealous and worry plagued their hearts
No respect gave them rest or pleasure
Evil emotions gripped their souls
No solace found in money
No love found in respect
No relief found in coin
Only emptiness
Only anger
Only loss