As the old saying goes “there are none so blind as those who don’t want to see”, but perhaps an update on that could be those who “can’t be bothered to look”? Or perhaps with the added proviso can’t be bothered to look “where they are going” might be more true I think!
So why can’t they be bothered to look? Well maybe it’s not so much not bothered to look, more of being distracted by their mobile phones, headphones, music earphones and also setting some, or all of said appliances whilst walking along or even worse still, driving.
Add to these people the genuinely “unable to perceive anybody else about them” folks and we really are set up for a type of “human dodgems” that only surprises in the number of cases that people DON’T bump into each other somehow!
I guess this is exactly what I had in mind with my poem “Beware the Unaware” from my 2nd book More Poetic Views of Life….
Beware the Unaware
I’m glad people are not motor cars
There would be crashes every day,
For even if you are walking straight
Someone walks out in your way!
It’s clear there’s not a highway code
For pedestrians out on the street.
Because however much you dodge
They will tread hard on your feet.
Coming straight out from the shop
People do not glance up or look,
And walk right out in front of you
Whatever avoidance tack you took.
Stop and starting, a turn left or right
No one bothers to look all around.
So they emergency stop unaware,
Another person is collision bound!
Trolleys, prams, mobility buggies,
The three monkey’s driving it seems.
Not so wise, and no hearing or seeing,
Circling around, lost in their dreams.
People on mobile phones, unaware,
Stepping out and not looking at all.
It’s amazing that they don’t trip up,
Or walk unsighted into a wall!
Walkers striding with ear pieces in,
Can’t hear even if you were a coach.
But that doesn’t seem to deter them,
They are oblivious to any approach.
So every day we run the human race,
With no rules in the great walkabout.
Thus there is bumping and pushing,
And all your fault without a doubt!
–
All everyone else’s fault of course, but little comfort to them if they are knocked over, injured or even dead because they didn’t look where they are going. Other people involved might be hurt, injured or even worse too.
So all in all quite serious now, and a dangerous activity, but this worrying “oblivious” behaviour is sadly now very frequent, and seems to be getting even worse, almost becoming a form of unintentional suicide, which is a prompt for the next poem entitled “Mobilside”, and from my 3rd book “Reviews of Life in Verse”…….
Mobilecide
Suicide Is intentionally killing yourself
When towards that sad act you slide.
But now we have another way to die,
Unintentional, and called “mobilecide”
For mobilecide comes from the misuse,
Of your companion, the mobile phone.
With all the latest gadgets and devices
That checks you’re in touch and not alone.
The problem with this is very simple,
In that you must look at your screens
At almost continual times and occasions,
To ensure you know what it means!
There are several forms of mobilecide
And can depend on where you are,
But by far the most certain, lethal way
Is to use your phone and drive a car.
A quick look at it, or maybe make a call
Or perhaps temptation to send a text,
So that your eyes are off your driving
And have no clues to what happens next.
You are not attending to the road
So you swerve to left, or maybe right,
At an oncoming car, maybe a big van
But each could spell the last goodnight!
Of course other people may be involved,
Not fault of theirs they’re in the way.
But your averted eyes don’t see them
And after you hit them, what do you say?
“Oh God I really didn’t mean it”
No intention for this at all.
You got distracted by your phone,
So you killed them and hit the wall.
By walking you are not in the clear
If constantly at your phone you look,
Because the unseen driver who hits you
Was surprised by the chance you took,
A pedestrian without any awareness
Of a highway code you may have read.
For to go blindly cross the road
Ensures you will soon end up dead!
Thus questions must be asked of the mobile,
Is it for fun, information, or tears.
For giving it attention, and not yourself
Means you won’t live many years.
–
All very grim, which is exactly what it is, and getting worse, as specifically with car drivers, the research figures suggest the number of accidents caused when people are on their mobile phones or texting are rising to frightening levels. Yes there are none so blind as those who won’t look where they are going!
Well this is all very unpleasant reading and maybe even a bit uncomfortable for people who DO text and use mobile phones whilst driving, but as I often say surely nobody actually does this, especially if they should be reading the article now. Oh, but quite likely anyone guilty of this would presumably have stopped reading it a fair way above! Or would they as possibly in denial? Hopefully it might stop some who do “text and drive” to stop!
Anyway enough of that as I’m moving onto the last poem which is called “Blind Fate” (very apt a?), but slightly different and it comes from 3rd book again….
Blind Fate
Can you feel without sight or sound?
When you only have black text
To help complete your picture,
So you can be perplexed.
Thus you must look for clues
In the written statements there,
Saying their thoughts on life
And how much they care.
Perhaps you can see a photo
To give some outside view,
But pictures can be staged
And aren’t necessarily true.
Can you love without sight or sound?
Only having the written word,
If not, proceed with caution
Or you may look quite absurd.
For I believe you must meet
Other folks and see their eyes,
As there are not too many people
Whose vision hides their lies!
–
A different slant (sorry) now then, but the point remains the same though, that if we don’t look where we are going OR what we are going to do, it could all end up badly!
As I often end my articles being tongue-in-cheek, I will again here by saying that I am totally confident and sure none of the above involves any of us in any way, but hey just watch out for all those security cameras in case…..
Laurie
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