THOSE WHO DARE and COPING NATURALLY Poems #40-41

40

Those Who Dare*

 

 

Dare to be aware of surroundings

That keep it real, like being

Honest

Safe

Responsible 

Dare to build communication between

adults and teens that develops

decision-making skills

through role play 

Saying “no” does not only relate to

drugs or alcohol or sex or cigarettes,

but to anything

that steals control 

Refuse

Explain

Avoid

Leave 

Get right.

By keeping it REAL you learn to cope naturally.

 

*DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) originated in 1983, improved upon in later years to become an exceptional program thanks to all the hard work and trial-and-error that went before.

 

*****

 

I worked for a police department in Minnesota. At the time, they were one of the first departments to promote DARE. The local youth in the area looked up to the police, and the program held drug use to a minimum. At the time, the focus was on helping teens to maintain control of their lives. But it is important for young people to learn that they will always have a right to be in control of their lives.

 

Allowing someone else to take control of your thoughts and actions is one of the worst forms of degradation I can imagine. Relinquishing that control through force is truly unimaginable to me.

 

***** *****

 

41

Coping Naturally 

A coyote forced out of

its comfort zone by hunger

seeks food while coping

naturally. 

The child abandoned in

the street to wander, by instinct

learns to scavenge

for survival. 

Souls lost to dependence find

light and guidance in

the supernatural of their

own existence.

 *****     *****

 

This poem follows the ending with the words "you learn to cope naturally." My first thought was of animals coping in the wild. When their natural habitat is disrupted, their instinct is to roam to other areas to meet their needs.  This led me to thoughts of humans who are forced to cope in less than ideal situations. Finally, I focused on persons with addictions who must find ways for them to cope naturally.

 

As used in this poem, the word "child" can refer to the product of our environment where people are abandoned without guaranteed shelter or daily meals. The homeless focus on finding food for sustenance and shelter from the elements through scavenging. Basic needs are met through their instinct for survival.

 

When words are first written, their meaning is not always clear. Poems aren't meant to provide answers to the universe, but to provoke thought that can ultimately lead to solutions. As long as the world ignores encroachment on wilderness habitats, homelessness, and addiction, there will always be threat of extinction, homelessness, and addictions in the world.