Acceptance



You gave your whole life
to sun's sweltering heat,
as you plucked for hours
the foods that we'd eat.

Depleting more each day,
as you muscled-in your catch
that comforted your bosses
so they'll loosen hardship's latch.

You've become my superhero,
as you ripened each raw field.
I admired your brute strength.
when heavy tools you would wield.

Each night you'd come home calling
for my sisters to come mend
the blisters on your hands
where numbness would transcend.

I craved to share your burden,
but each time I would ask:
You'd say that I'm too youthful
for this enduring task.

"Your hands are too clean!
Go play with them and grow.
For when they are conditioned,
then life's seed you can sow."

But as time trickled on,
I felt destined for more.
And was bitten by books' pages,
that lay scattered on the floor.

One day a letter came
that told me there's more knowledge.
I left home without your favor
to attend this hopeful college.

Then later with excitement,
I returned to shout: Success!
At the growing of life's seed,
that used machines and my hands less.

"Look at me daddy!
See the mouths that I feed!"
But you winced in disappointment,
and preached your candid creed:

"Your hands are not stained!
It is grit that you lack!
If one aims to build character,
one must break their own back!"

I stared at you in longing
for my hero's loving glance.
Hoping you'd acknowledge
my heart's rhythmic solo dance.

But your soul was like your hands,
that matched callous with calus.
So I'd abandoned you for years
until we buried your malice.

"Look at me daddy!
See the towns I now feed!
My company blossoms.
So too the people I lead."

Yet from your cold grey tombstone,
came tormenting whispers loud.
And the deeds that I built vanished,
like tall buildings in a cloud.

"Did you condition your hands
with the feel of silt and sands?
If not, then you're a boy!
You've not become a man!"

Disgusted, I turned away.
My son was digging ground.
He seemed happy and content.
His fingers were now browned.

"Hey! Boy! Come here!
How much time have you spurned?
You will never be a man,
until all your books you have learned!"

About this poem

When we anchor our biases without not being flexible to change, progress can be hindered. Allow one to follow their hearts. Because the change that makes them happy, could be what the world needs.

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Written on January 20, 2024

Submitted by lugesan_r on February 01, 2024

Modified by lugesan_r on February 02, 2024

2:21 min read
130

Quick analysis:

Scheme xaba cdxd efxf ghih xjxj xexx xkxk xxlm nopo Qpnp xrlr gsms ibxx Qpxx xtxt iixu cvxv xwuw
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 2,125
Words 456
Stanzas 18
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Lugesan Reddy

I'm new to writing poems. Tried my hand at short stories a few times, but it didn't feel quite right. It's been a great journey with poetry thus far! Looking forward to sharing and learning from fellow members, as we go on this adventure together. more…

All Lugesan Reddy poems | Lugesan Reddy Books

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Discuss the poem Acceptance with the community...

4 Comments
  • NubianFantabulous
    Remarkable! I love how this poem comes full circle with Acceptance that we can only be who we are, no matter how others might try to steer us in a different direction. The father could never make the son become gritty, and now the son wants his son to be more educated than laboring. But at the end of it all everyone is who they are. Brilliant. 
    LikeReply2 months ago
  • Vixility
    It is very true: we must nurture the goals and tendencies our children have rather than forcing them to conform with the goals and tendencies of our own lives.

    For a moment, I thought the dad (narrator) was doing this for his son … in fact, and herein lies the point of your poem, he was treating his son exactly the way his deceased father treated him.

    Excellent piece, and point very well made!
     
    LikeReply2 months ago
  • karlcfolkes
    Acceptance is the positive side of its cohort rejection. A great message.
    LikeReply 12 months ago
  • AIDA
    Wow, what a powerful and emotive poem! The imagery and storytelling in this piece are incredible. The way you describe the dedication and hard work of the speaker's father is truly admirable. The poem beautifully captures the contrast between the father's expectations and the son's pursuit of knowledge and personal growth.

    One improvement suggestion I have is to consider the flow and rhythm of the poem. While the poem as a whole is impactful, there are a few lines that could be revised to enhance the overall rhythm and consistency. Additionally, exploring different poetic devices such as metaphors or similes could add even more depth to the imagery and emotions portrayed in the poem.

    Overall, this poem beautifully explores themes of sacrifice, ambition, and the complexities of familial relationships. Your ability to convey the speaker's journey from feeling locked into societal expectations to finding their own path is truly captivating. Keep up the great work!
     
    LikeReply2 months ago

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"Acceptance" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/179814/acceptance>.

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