Walk In Their Shoes

Choose from the list below, and write a poem as if you were that person.  Get inside their head, what would they have to say if you gave them a voice again?

Become as many people as you want from the list, or just one, but a separate poem for each person you're writing as.  One week, no collabs, here's the list:

Mae West                                             Charlie Chaplin
Alexander the Great                             Richard Nixon
Winston Churchill                                  Jim Morrisson
Nelson Mandela                                    Bela Lugosi
Janis Joplin                                           Louisa May Alcott
Roman Emperor Nero                          Nathaniel Hawthorne
Josef Stalin                                           Paul Revere
Eleanor Roosevelt                                Jesus
Vlad the Impaler                                   Annie Oakley
Indira Ghandi                                       King Henry the 8th
Alan Ginsberg                                      Andy Warhol
Jack Kerouac                                       Freida Kahlo
Wendy O. Williams                               Sid Vicious
Pablo Picasso                                      John Lee Hooker
Mary Shelley                                        Harriet Tubman

Peace People
(Jim Morrison)

Where's all the love gone
Where are all the peace people
No more songs to calm the night
No more songs to save our plight

Plastic people walking lightly
Dead eyes without a soul
In their minds only gold
Mother wants her children back

Where's all the love gone
Why aren't there any friendship songs
Why can't I call you brother
Why don't you know mother

Give your love to your brother
Hug your sister and your mother
Be a better brother
Love your neighbor and each other

Where has all the love gone
Where are all the peace people
Why aren't there more brothers and sisters
Singing the songs of love

No Bitch
(Janis Joplin)

I ain't your bitch
Don't call me one
Unless you're crazy
Cuz I'll come undone

Don't disrespect me
I'm a lady
All woman no pretending
Don't get down on me

I may not be strong
Like a man
But I can move mountains
With a wave of my hand

My strengths are unique
Where some see walls
I see opportunity
Don't cross me you'll lose

We are strong women
No weaknesses
Stop disrespecting
We all bleed like you

Thanks for starting off, Xmar !

Thanks Lanooz--great entries coming in so far!

Jesus
I never stopped crying
from the day
they ripped me
from the cross
and hid me
until i
became well
slowly understanding
the pain
of being wise
I finally understood
you cannot teach a people
who do not believe
that peace
between tribes
means your children
are free

I'm Mae West

The queen of the double
entendres silver purse and
verse has entered the building
of course, they want to censor
me render me sheltered.

Measured everyday pressured
lectured have not surrendered
centered, with my life tampered.

Bastards my prudish comedy
unconventional unprofessional
unbearable they say traditional
is unthinkable I say how terrible
I'm only helping the
Depression-era.

Walk through the Sahara the
agenda because of my
placenta it rains grab the
umbrella time for tequila
while they fuss I'll be
in Catalina.

I am Chaplin

Fame came but my childhood
the same in London poverty
and hardships remained
strained relationship with a
father who was absent
transient struggling financially
unhappily the catastrophe.

Sent twice to the workhouse
before nine stay in line decline
mother committed submitted
convicted to the asylum, atheism
and I an item now a lion the
horizon.

Music halls and such born the
tramp persona media gorilla
silent giant defiant outspoken
never frightened.

Accused of communist sympathies
what hostilities young women
activities banned now living in
New Zealand great green lands
who understands a man's stance?



 

The Great

King I am the man
kingdom wisdom written
throne aged twenty ready
age thirty thirsty empire
undefeated in battle, agile.

Commander of commanders
Aristotle ready generalship
the leadership of leaderships
conquering empires with fires
overthrowing Persian Kings
brings rings of Spring's riches.

Babylon is here now, time
to clear the rest of the
world no fear hear the
cheers through ears pierce.

Great entries everyone & welcome to DUP, Controversity!

Call me Wendy O

My voice flows fury and sex
With chainsaw grind of guitar scream
I am the verge
I hold youth and bold being
Tight in my sweaty fist
Did my share
Of wandering
Odd jobs....and I do mean strange
To get around the world in daze
I've been across oceans
And back
To scream my rage
On lit stage
In leather and waving my buzzzzz
Of blade through electric moan
And added wild wail of my own
As my antics turned legend
Queen of shock rock.....

They failed to hear
What I felt moved to say
So i sung ever louder
Wearing Mohawk Crown
And not much more.....
In so many' s eyes I was just a mouthy whore
I said I'm no slut
I just play one on TV
Would they let some tramp headline CBGB?

They failed me somehow
And I lost the ability
To be at ease in my own skin
This broad turned tail to femme fragility
I lower lash
In hellish pink shame

Wendy O used to be my name
Now...call me "theirs"
Crocheted bikini to Grammy
I bleed filthy red buckets of fame

My song was once my release
That was taken
From my soul in pieces
Until I took my swing
And could not hit
Was Used up completely
A wasted heap
I became yesterday's trash
Crumpled
Cheap
So i glared at life.......
With snarled lip
Gave it the finger
And butchered it......

Baby

Charlie Chaplin

I was born and raised in London
With only my mother and my brother I grew up fatherless.
We lived a penniless childhood.
My mother introduced me to the stage as she was a singer,
She didn't stay one for long as poverty struck us hard.
On her good days she was a wonderful woman, but as she lost control of her mind I had no other choice but to commit her.
I never felt right doing it nor did I ever want to be reminded about that dreadful day when I left her.
I however stayed with my brother who took me in and introduced me to vaudeville,
At that time I was just a young man with a dream to succeed.
As my talent was right away recognized I became an official performer of slapstick comedy in vaudeville acts.
Over a period of time I grew bigger and started acting,
Later on even directing my own movies.
My movies made you laugh as they also made you cry,
I was also sensitive about the prejudice against immigrants like me who came to America with only a dream of a better life to end up being mistaken for what's hurting America.
For my beliefs I was called a Jew in spite,
For my many lustorous, but private relationships I was accused of being a monster only because a few of them were younger than me.
I was found guilty for having a baby with a young girl that wasn't even mine.
People tried left and right to break down my spirits, but it wasn't until as soon as me and my family left over seas we were exiled from America that I felt it let me down.
Years later America wanted me back as they payed tribute to me in 1972 where I accepted an Academy Award.
I was later on even knighted as Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin by the queen.
Despite my many trials and tribulations I remembered to do one thing and that was smile.

Jesus Wept

I've always thought it strange,
the land laden with poor and needy
and as for the rich and greedy,
well, I tore the temple in two
and my Heavenly Father looked on
while Mary sang her mourning song
and Judas could not tell right from wrong
but I forgave him anyway

I forgave the men who crucified
drove their spears through flesh, I cried
and the dying thieves on either side
found salvation on the cross
just a lonely plain in Jerusalem
Golgotha's skulls had gathered here
to see the dear Christ shake with fear
for my Father had forsaken me

but awakening within the tomb
I rolled the heavy stone away
and headed t'ward dawn to pray
on the feet of morning dew
for, my child, I beg of thee
I come to you in perfect peace
and here, you will find release;
this speaks the truth today.