Poemattic: Poetry and Art for the Soul

I wanted to thank my fellow bloggers for their interesting and thought provoking ideas that inspire me everyday. A special thanks to all those who faithfully follow Poemattic. Thank for your continued support.

Thanksgiving day was very quiet; unlike other years when our children, grandchildren, and other family members gather for a traditional dinner. I was sad we would not have the family together but it gave me the opportunity to gather my thoughts about what giving thanks signifies.

So I wrote a few poems to share with you and chose this one for today even though it is belated.

Why Give Thanks

Why give thanks today more than any other day?

Who really knows?

I remember pictures in an old school history book

where depicted were Native Americans and the New Americans feasting

together in peace and harmony.

I want to believe that was how is was in truth,

Could it have been a photo opportunity though?

You know, like a Hallmark TV commercial,

It is all about what it is suppose to be about.

But the truth is today many of us are split;

separated by biases and “alternative facts”,

conspiracy theories, and oh yes, by the enemy

of the people. Do we know who they are?

We are not suppose to believe what we see or what we hear anymore.

Do I give thanks for that?

I witnessed homelessness at its worst the other day;

and on a cable channel

someone was flaunting a home that had 10 bathrooms.

Do I give thanks for that undeniable truth?

So few have so much and too many have nothing.

Another senseless shooting in New Orleans just yesterday, very sad

and by the way,

A little girl went missing again taken from right in front of her mother;

Do I give thanks for that?

My thanks are desperately waiting

for us to sincerely unite

So many of us do understand the urgency

for purposeful and mindful conversations

about the issues that really matter.

But every time I watch the news or open up a newspaper

it is mostly about negative stuff, crazy stuff, and unbelievable stuff

stuff you cannot make up kind of stuff.

Senseless mass shootings, climate change, and government corruption,

Do I give thanks for that?

Pardon me if I sound pessimistic today of all days

Do I sound ungrateful?

Do I give thanks for that?

Some interesting books about Thanksgiving

www.thoughtco.com/books-about-thanksgiving-in-literature-741606