Tragedy – tear-flooding and head-drowning –
When it happens to them,
Yes, only when it happens to them;
But if it happens to you or me,
One among hundreds of incidents it can be;
Meaningless, pitiless and fearless,
For some say we’re helpless and worthless?
“A tragic hero, never, ever you will be,”
A varsity expert for ‘tragedy’ said to me,
“Even if you wear high heeled boots,”
But a brutal killer she highly hailed
For being an ideal tragic hero, or villain,
with greed for power as his tragic flaw,
“but without boots, a comic hero you can be”.
It’s not that, to be a hero, I’m not tall enough,
But because I’m not one of them,
NOT one of them,
And I don’t stumble from mountain height
Because I always live in this social gutter,
Into which they stumble;
They stumble right from mountain top.
Copyright © August 2, 2019, Newton Ranaweera
Image source: Pixabay
newtoneapblog 
Penned well
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you so much, Akshaya, for this great comment!! 🙂
LikeLike
Eloquent and powerful, Newton. So reflective about the voices of the oppressor(s) and of the oppressed in this world. What are real heroines and heroes like? “Not tall” and “not one of them”? Are the real heroes and heroines those from the social gutter which is the residence of the oppressed? Can’t we just learn to live with equity like true sisters and brothers everywhere on earth? Can’t we just learn how to fight any form of power abuse at all levels of human relationships by means of non violent civil resistance movements without killing other people?
I have just read about Dr.Paul Newman, “one of the four public speakers at the Permanent People’s Tribunal on War Crimes against Sri Lanka.” acc ording to this link: https://www.eurasiareview.com/author/dr-paul-newman/. Dr.Newman is one of the 13 international observers of the trial to our Catalan political prisoners. He clearly seems to be someone to stand for human rights. I hope we can trust him and the other 12 international observers.
Also, I have read more about the situation in Sri Lanka. So sorry for so many deaths. Can’t you all Sinhalese, Tamil, etc, live like brothers and sisters respecting each other?
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you so much, Marta, for this comment with detailed and impressive information. Your last words caught my eyes most and made me have conflicting views because of the political complexity of this issue. Sure, Marta, we can live as sisters and brothers. However, the problem is not with us but it lies with the political leadership (both within and out) who cannot exist without such problems.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I understand. Sure it is a very complex situation. I am so sad to see so many people suffering and dying. It is all so absurd. Different ethnicities, religions, cultures and langauges always being used as tools to abuse. Here is a lovely video on the success of nonviolent civil resistance movements: https://momentsbloc.wordpress.com/2018/06/19/non-violence-suceeds/
LikeLike
The imagery is intense – you’ve written something that I have wanted to say, but didn’t know how. Thank you.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you so much, Liz, for this great comment, with the complement!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
A thoughtful & great post that’s inspired a lovely dialog between your readers 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much, da-AL, for this wonderfully great comment!! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person