Pass on some kindness.
(inspired
by reading the Wikipedia article on Saint Valentine, who according to
historical testimony “was
arrested and imprisoned upon being caught marrying Christian couples
and otherwise aiding Christians who were at the time being persecuted
by Claudius in Rome. Helping Christians at this time was considered a
crime. Claudius took a liking to this prisoner – until Valentinus
tried to convert the Emperor – whereupon this priest was condemned
to death. He was beaten with clubs and stones; when that failed to
kill him, he was beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate. Various dates
are given for the martyrdom or martyrdoms: 269, 270, or 273.”
Neat guy, right? So I figured, here’s a song in memory of his
values-in-action.)
.jpg) |
| {melody} |
Man,
I'd never kill.
I’d
never kill a man –
And
when one tries to fight with me,
I
put a puppy in his hand.
*
He
said, “What
you tryin’ to do?
Layin’
this dog upon
me?”
I
said, “Usually
if a man is mean,
It’s
just
because he lonely.”
Even
if a kid is bad,
I
never strike a child.
A
boy was being a brat
So
I threw an octopus at him and smiled.
*
He
said, “What
are you doing
Giving
me this gangly
cephalopod?”
I
said, “Usually
if a kid is wild,
It’s
just
because they bored.”
I’d
never call a girl
A
‘ho’ or a ‘bitch.’
A
lady was chewin’ me out
And
so I made
her a ham sandwich.
*
She
said, “Well, I was so mad
at you,
But
now I’m ingratiated.”
I
said, “Usually if a girl is pissed,
She just need to be appreciated.”
She just need to be appreciated.”
I
have seen all these things
And
I pass them along to you.
So
next time someone shows their teeth,
You
just show
them a love that’s true:
Just
show them a love that’s true!
Cool poem! You used great examples which I think really push forward the best type of attitude one can have when confronting anger and frustration. The stanza by stanza silliness is effective because it shows an excellent way to dissipate situations that people often handle by returning their own aggression, causing way too much unnecessary conflict. The speaker has a healthy sense of self awareness between himself and issues he encounters among others, and what I think the speaker does here, is that he separates himself from being the focus of all hostility. This ties into what I believe that you, yourself, ultimately control the way you feel, regardless of who you might encounter. And the last line, “show them a love that’s true” ties in the whole poem quite nicely. Ultimately, the speaker respects and loves himself which is why he can so easily share his love with others.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in middle school, I almost got beaten up outside the locker room for remarking to an African-American/Black/Person-of-color that "it must be nice not to worry so much about getting a sunburn," since I burn in like 5 minutes. He immediately replied, "Why, because I'm black?" to which I said, "Yes! Because that means you have more melanin in your skin, so more sun protection." ... next thing I knew, I was surrounded by a group of variously offended boys and in very real fear for preserving my sensitive pale skin.
DeleteSo I threw my arms up in the air and yelled out, "We are ALL brothers!!" And they all just started shaking their heads and laughing, then walked away.
I never forgot that humbling lesson in self-deprecating humor.
In To Kill a Mockingbird, a book that most of us read in 8th grade, the father Atticus teaches his children to put themselves “in someone else’s shoes” and treat others the way they would like to be treated. Try to appreciate where someone else is coming from and the reason for their actions. Then, react to them in an understanding way. You employed specific, and at times outrageous, examples in your poem “Valentinus” to put a new spin on this age-old view of getting along with our fellow man.
ReplyDeleteYou presented numerous examples of situations where confrontations can be avoided by trying to understand the reason behind someone’s actions. When facing an aggressive person who wants to fight him, the narrator “puts a puppy in his hand,” observing that a mean man is simply lonely and needs companionship. The narrator does not explain the reaction but it can be assumed that the problem was resolved because nothing more is mentioned of it.
Similarly, when the narrator encounters a bratty kid, he “threw an octopus at him and smiled.” Confused, the kid asks why, but the narrator reflects, “Usually if a kid is wild, It’s just because they bored.” Once again, the action of the narrator seems to have solved the problem.
After giving another example of how to deal with an upset female companion, the narrator confirms his understanding of the timeless problem of human interaction. He wants to pass his learning on to the reader: “So next time someone shows their teeth, You just show them a love that’s true.” Try to understand where they are coming from and treat them the way you want to be treated.
Yes, this is so.
DeleteHumans are naturally emotional creatures. The poem’s portrayal of human emotion is is very accurate. It captures emotion and explains what may be underlying it. The light hearted tone of this poem makes it enjoyable to read and more importantly, clarifies the message. People who express anger and dissatisfaction sometimes just need a kind gesture to lighten their mood. Each stanza adds another dimension to the poem as they reveal a situation where someone’s mood is lifted. The speaker’s solutions suggest that he understands the way human emotions work alone as well as how they interact with each other.
ReplyDeleteWhen reading your poem I find myself questioning whether or not the human conception of “evil” truly exists. Humans commonly have a dual nature, in which the “bad” and the “good” both exist. Our capacity to do bad things often is a product of secondary emotions that originate from other core issues, like insecurity and loneliness, both of which you mention in your poem. The rhythm of this poem reminds me of a nursery rhyme or something out of a children’s book, which could reveal that being nice and kind-hearted to people is a simple idea that anyone could follow. I also love the play on words in the last two lines of the poem, where you emphasize a different word in each line. I love the message it communicates that even though someone is acting mean, you should just show a genuine love to them because they are probably experiencing other underlying problems that could make them that way.
ReplyDelete"reminds me of a nursery rhyme"
Delete...It's got a melody, too. (click the { link } under the picture.)
I agree that many "evils" stem from other personal issues within that particular person, and from this poem I get the idea that it is meant to shed light on more everyday "evils", not true and dark evils beyond what comes from secondary emotions. Because those are two very different things. Good seams to triumph in these various examples that he offers in order to show that everyday encounters and relationships can be bettered by some love and compassion, and that this can have some permanent effect.
DeleteI love how this poem demonstrates that affection is rooted within empathy. Each display of love given as an example within this poem begins with the speaker understanding the emotions of a distressed individual allowing him to understand that individual’s unpleasant behaviour and react with compassion. Valentinus himself demonstrated a propensity to empathize greatly with couples feeling romantic love for each other compelling him to contest the beliefs of the most powerful imperial force of the time and leading him to attempt to convert its leader (brave guy; I respect his resolve in propagating his beliefs). What matters is that acts of compassion act as a nexus between the well beings of all parties involved within mundane or not so mundane human interactions. Thank you, I very much enjoyed this poem as well as the rest of your work.
ReplyDeleteCool. Thanks -- I'm glad people find value in the silly poems, too.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI thought this song had anti-war and anti-violence themes throughout. People use negativity such as yelling and fighting as a defense to cover up what is actually bothering them. The answer to this problem, as said throughout the song, is to give them new love. By showing these people love, we can learn who they truly are and what is behind the harsh exterior they present. This allows us to learn what is really bugging them even if they won’t outright say it with their words and instead show how they are feeling by exhibiting hostility. I think the main message of the song is to open your heart to love instead of violence. St. Valentine was a preacher of this message and practiced it by conducting forbidden marriages. Valentine was this symbol of love and anti-violence during a very dark time when many people around him were filled with hate and violence. As a result of all this negativity and these people who did not follow Valentine’s beliefs, they killed the one light in their darkness. I think this song is preaching the same beliefs as Valentine and is saying that if we do not follow these practices, we will be no better than the men that killed St. Valentine all those years ago. I enjoyed the song and thought the theme reminded of the Beatles song “All you need is love.”
ReplyDelete"Nothing you can know that isn't known / Nothing you can see that isn't shown / Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be / It's easy / All you need is love." ;-)
DeleteFirst reading this poem, I really enjoyed how it supported the idea of fighting negativity with positivity, of being the bigger person and refusing to stoop below common morals. In each example, though the instigator is gifted with kindness, they retaliate the approach with hostility. Still, you react with wise and peaceful statements that support the overall idea of showing love rather than furthering the negative situation. What I question is that in each example, the final line that supports the peaceful action doesn't have proper grammar. I took this to show the shallow and two dimensional logic used when it comes to understanding motives for people's actions, though that assumption might contradict the overall message of the entire poem.
ReplyDeleteI meant it to reflect how obvious these truths are:
DeleteOne doesn't need to formulate complex logical formulas, or even properly grammatical sentences, to see another's actions with empathy and respond with understanding.
When I first started to read this song, I thought it was a poem but, I think it is one of my favorite entries. It makes me realize that poetry is everywhere and songs are merely stories that are usually very poetic. The tone of the poem is very optimistic and positive. It gives every person in every situation the benefit of the doubt and helps to treat them also. It contrasts the situation at the beginning of the stanza with a very hopeful and childish response at the end of each stanza. I know that this piece is supposed to be a song but, the childish rhymes further emphasizes the possibility for innocence in the darkest situations. All of the problems that accompany growing up and the loss of innocence, like murder and cruel words, are contrastively responded to by the narrator. I also think this piece is a reflection of the corruption in man in this age. Everyone is so busy and set and moving forward so everyone overreacts to situations and is typically very emotional and expressive. The responses that the narrator gives are the ideal way to show the kindness of humanity. Even though it does not happen nearly enough, it is still possible for man to be this kind to one another. The way the narrator reacts is very reflective of his character. He always puts himself in someone elses place and demonstrates a deeper level of understanding. This empathetic action reminds me of Atticus Finch’s actions in To Kill a Mockingbird.
ReplyDeleteBeing in the minority is cool.
DeleteThe hardest group to get into isn't the group that holds it's doors closed;
It's the group that leaves its doors open, but takes a lot of effort to walk through.
Being empathetic and thoughtful takes some effort -- but it's a cool way to live if you can manage it.
I appreciate this Valentine’s Day poem because it focuses on a general love for humanity and not the usual romantic love that is found in most Valentine’s Day poems. I personally enjoy Valentine’s Day because I feel that people act more kindly on February 14th than they do most other days. It would seem wrong to fight or insult people on a day that is devoted to love.
ReplyDeleteThe main message of this poem is to show love to others, even to people who seem unpleasant. Like the man, the kid, and the girl in the poem, sometimes people act rudely toward others because they feel bad about themselves. I must remember this message, as I often pass quick judgments on people who make me angry or upset without thinking about their personal struggles.
All it takes is a breath, sometimes... and trying to answer the question "Why are you acting like that?" earnestly in your own head, before yelling it rhetorically. It's a very calming habit :)
DeleteI really enjoyed the song “Valentinus” because I found it inspiring in it’s focus on kindness and treating others with compassion. Even though the man who started the fight was rude and ill spirited when the speaker gave him a puppy, the speaker still responded with sympathy. I liked how this demonstrated the understanding that people are not cruel at heart, but rather lash out because of other factors. I feel like this idea is seen frequently in our culture today. Because kindness has become a rarity, now when people perform true virtuous acts, others doubt their good intentions and suspect that they’re only reason for being kind is because they have ulterior motives. I also enjoyed that this song had a humorous lighthearted tone to it as well, even in discussing a serious matter.
ReplyDeleteWhat really resonates with me in this poem is the speakers ability to give the other person the benefit of the doubt, rather than immediately retaliating when faced with aggression. I personally try to live my life living by this mentality because I believe that people are naturally good but just put in situations that make them lash out at others. This poem brought a smile to my face because of its warm theme and positive outlook on life.
ReplyDelete