Home

Guilty of Observing Life

by Ken Harnisch

Absence of motion
If not the mind
Were his indictments
 
His convictions were
For misdemeanors;
Ones not of the heart
But of the will
 
His failure
To dance when
The music was
Played; his failure to
Sing  when his voice
Might have saved him
 
His failure to follow
When she left him
A trail; his failure
To object when
She closed off
Her heart
 
The jury found
Him guilty of
Observing Life
In the first degree
And he was sentenced
To time in the bleachers
As a spectator, condemned
To sit on his hands.

03/27/2009

Posted on 03/27/2009
Copyright © 2026 Ken Harnisch

Member Comments on this Poem
Posted by Joan Serratelli on 03/27/09 at 12:59 PM

WOW! What a great message in this piece- I justt loved it- right into favorites!

Posted by George Hoerner on 03/27/09 at 01:20 PM

Really great write Ken. Nice images and tone make this a really nice read.

Posted by Nanette Bellman on 03/27/09 at 04:34 PM

What a beautiful write here Ken. I love how you can feel the pain of the defendant having to sit and watch and realize what he's been missing out on.

Posted by Charlie Morgan on 03/27/09 at 11:23 PM

...greeeeaaat turn of our precious language...i har-hared, and grinned while seeing you phrase on out...a pointy point.

Posted by Morgan D Hafele on 03/27/09 at 11:48 PM

seems like most of us spend out time in the bleachers...maybe trying to figure out how to get back in the game

Return to the Previous Page
 

pathetic.org Version 7.3.2 May 2004 Terms and Conditions of Use 0 member(s) and 2 visitor(s) online
All works Copyright © 2026 their respective authors. Page Generated In 0 Second(s)