Like A Song - poem

Last week I bumped into a friend who invited me to a small gathering for this evening. It is an evening of poetry, prayer and song dedicated to sending peaceful thoughts to the healing conscience of the Earth. It should be fun. I’m planning on taking my guitar to play two songs – I’ve been practicing a bit over the last few days.

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Over the last few weeks, I’ve been sharing stories, photos, artwork and song lyrics with you, but I haven’t yet shared one of my poems. Here is one that I wrote four years ago.

Like A Song

I don’t like living in a world
ruled by corruption for greed;
enslaving almost all people (in some way)
for those few lifestyles built for speed.

Whatever happened to “Love each other!”?
Did it get buried beneath the money?
How can all of our armies shooting guns for peace
lead to a balance where our riches taste like honey?

I’d like to live in a world
that creates opportunity for the doing of the deed;
where everyone understands the power of peace
and the importance of the planting of the seed.


We will lay down our weapons and LOVE EACH OTHER!
We will clear away pollution to enjoy skies that are sunny,
where everyone’s voice is like a song
and our actions beat with harmony.

Jim Kogelheide
Summer 2004


The Story Behind The Poem

It would be nice to think that it’s possible to enjoy every single day of your life, but as we all know, sometimes negativity arises and you feel not so joyous. The day I wrote this poem I was feeling very week and helpless and a little down.

I had just come home from my job as a waiter and I was upset with how one of my customers had treated me. Later that afternoon I was shocked with many frightening stories about environmental disasters that were reported on the news. I was feeling so small in such a big world full of so much selfishness and my ambitions to share and spread inspiration seemed like such a waste. I became angry and full of frustration.

I took my writing pad and my dog Koly for a walk through the woods that line the banks of the Thames River. I decided to use my pen to unleash my frustration at a world that didn’t seem to care about love. After I had finished the first two stanzas of the poem I had felt a little relief. Koly and I continued on for a little while and I contemplated how I could finish the poem in such a way as to empower the reader to realize that there is a better way to exist as a human race.



The title of the poem was inspired by a song written with the same title by U2, from their album entitled War.

“I won’t let others live in hell
as we divide against each other
and we fight amongst ourselves”

lyrics by Bono

Here is a link for the U2 website:
http://www.u2.com/

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If you’d like to read another poem that I wrote then click on this link:
http://www.bitsandpeaces.com/Pettifog.htm


Have a great day!

Jim