Set the world on fire

Set the world on fire 

Way back when I was still in school around the age 

of about oh let's just say it was a long time ago when 

I was a lot younger then I am today, back when I still 

believed in real true love, truth, justice, and even the 

American way, when nothing but love and a childish 

innocence was all that I had along with quite possibly 

a slightly skewed sense of what was right and what 

was wrong. I was only just a young man who happened 

to believe still in what freedom is supposed to be and 

the American flag, even the office of the President no 

matter who at the time was filling it, I guess maybe 

looking back I was what they called a dreamer always 

believing I could for some reason or another make 

things a little better but I know now back then my head 

was stuck somewhere up in the clouds as it was filled 

full up with unrealistic expectations of who or what I 

would be when I grew up. but I know now all of those 

thoughts were really more like delusions of grandeur, 

just a child make believing, I wanted so much to change 

the world for you and I that I could stand on a pulpit 

delivering my sermon like a minister in church on a 

Sunday morning talking about fire and brimstone I 

thought that if I could somehow in some way make 

people listen to what I had to say or to read what I had 

written down that I would have a chance to set this 

world on fire by leaving, my mark on humankind as I 

was setting that bar just a little bit higher for my very 

own children or the next generation to grasp on to so 

that they could continue to make this world a far better 

off place then we found it, to try to make a difference 

in the status quo so to say, to somehow in some way 

heal a little bit of this broken world and add back some 

humanity to it instead of trying to always destroy it. 

But how quickly did I see that all of those dreams were 

only just that, they were only my hopes and dreams, for 

what I found was this world that we all live in together is 

dying a little bit more every day and through all of the 

hate and violence that we as a people have accrued 

through all of the wars that still rage on in every type of 

way, through all of the murders and the rapes, along with

families dying in the streets and all of the homeless 

without homes, the hungry with no drinks, babies dying 

before they are born, addicts on every street, children 

without parents and demons that we keep locked away, 

always trying to escape and now pandemics that fill the 

air as a broken world mourns its dead, so tell me what is 

left? As life now it seems has been pushed to its very edge, 

it is up against the ropes while taking its last breath, God 

cannot be found and Jesus just like Elvis has already left, 

we are showing empty on the dash and hope is looking 

as if it will not last and our strength is fading fast, the 

white flag is up and it seems we have all but given up, so 

I ask again, what is left? 

How about believing that we all must in order to survive 

begin to believe in believing once again believe in the greater 

good believe in truth and justice. Believe in God and Jesus 

Christ. Believe in yourself and eternal life. Believe in love and 

heaven above. Believe in shooting stars and wishing wells. 

Believe once upon a times and fairy tales. Believe in sunny 

days and happy times. Believe in the first snowfall and the

beautiful sound of newborn babies cries. Believe in mother 

earth and father time. Believe in yourself and your heart and 

soul then believe in you and I and believe we will all one day 

hopefully sooner than later come together as one race all 

citizens of Earth and get it right. 

Poet Richard M Knittle Jr.

A Poets Journey