When Nothing Is Right



When nothing is right
it takes away from
everything that has
been said and done
all of its faults are exposed
the costs are far beyond
the payments it will take
to repair the damages it has made

Can it just be brushed away
with strokes of colored paint
that will keep it disguised
so that its real face will not shine
or be known so that no one will ever
know for sure who leaves behind the
painted picture and can never tell
the description of what seemed to
them that appeared
because it wasn't clear
of its shape or its form
or its intention to do good or
to do no more harm
so that righteousness can be revealed
and live because of its new birth.

About this poem

To make known how someone will feel when everything they do seems to be wrong in the eyes of the witnesses. They are said to be the righteous ones to help edify and build up someone's weakness and hold them up until they are strong enough to stand firm like a tree planted by the waters. When nothing is right there is no need to have faith and be motivated to improve, but instead death calls them.

Font size:
Collection  PDF     
 

Written on May 29, 1963

Submitted by treasia_b on December 21, 2022

Modified on March 05, 2023

39 sec read
3

Quick analysis:

Scheme XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 654
Words 132
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 8, 15

Discuss the poem When Nothing Is Right with the community...

0 Comments

    Translation

    Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "When Nothing Is Right" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/146883/when-nothing-is-right>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    March 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    2
    days
    21
    hours
    41
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Who was “admirably schooled in every grace”?
    A J. Alfred Prufrock
    B Richard Cory
    C Odysseus
    D Miniver Cheevy