Untitled - By: Brooklyn Smith

Live to stay righteous, to be good, to build others up.

Although my mother never said it, I knew.

Did I hear it whispered as if the wind called it?

Did it come from her heartbeat in her womb?

And so I live by that rule.

What will I gain?

I lean on hope to know.

A pearly white kingdom?

A pat on the back?

Blending into life?

I will never know or be told, so I repeat the words:

To be good is our dream.

Good to whom?

Right with whom?

I was born from dirt and scraps,

Muddy feet in a creek.

Why shouldn’t I live selfishly?

Only on my whims and desires?

The lion does not think twice before pouncing.

Nor the eagle before it swoops.

But we feel for every heartbeat, every tree, every creation.

A child gazes down at dinner, frowning,

At the thought of the prey.

I don’t believe the ape does that.

And yet we eat,

But still dream about being good.

Just as my mother does.

Please give a detailed explanation about the meaning and main idea of this poem.

The meaning of this poem to me was to ponder the idea of why humans are drawn to be good. It is an instinct we have since we were babies, but I don't feel the instinct is shared among other animals. The main meaning behind it is the thought that our main goal in life is to be a good person, which I find quite peculiar.

Please explain your writing and thought process regarding this poem.

I wrote this poem quite fast, it was more a work of my fingers than my brain. I delved into thoughts that have troubled me since childhood, which, whenever I tried to share, were always shut down for thinking too big or too deep.

Why did you choose to write this poem?

I chose to write this poem for fun! I was bored one morning and decided to write about what I was thinking.