No, You Cannot | Teen Ink

No, You Cannot MAG

November 6, 2008
By Anonymous

It is a new nation,
a nation that proudly proclaims:
“Yes we can.”
But what power holds “yes we can,”
when America has told many of our
brothers and sisters
“no, you cannot”?
You cannot follow your heart.
You cannot move forward.
You cannot take a hand.
You cannot break the mold.
“Marriage is a holy bond
for a man and a woman
it is not yours to taint,” they say.
Where is the future?
Relentlessly we must
keep striving for a better day.
We must stop this hatred
and bring about change in the
wake of defeat.


The author's comments:
This piece was written after Prop 8 was passed in California, a national tragedy at the state level.

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This article has 396 comments.


on Jul. 25 2011 at 7:29 pm
SoCalBarbie SILVER, Riverside, California
5 articles 0 photos 16 comments

Favorite Quote:
"whoever said the sky is the limit was incorrect, because I saw footprints on the moon."

I liked the poem alot it was really an eye opener. to the point but not exageratedly blunt. ilove it. check out my poems: I will not stand, dear brother do you remember & when you look me in the eye. I'm kind of a newbie so I'd definetly love some feedback!(:

on Jul. 25 2011 at 6:25 pm
purplequeen BRONZE, Boston, Massachusetts
1 article 0 photos 55 comments
I love this poem! It is really great!

on Jul. 25 2011 at 3:49 pm
Laura_Oliver GOLD, Manchester, Connecticut
12 articles 2 photos 122 comments
I have two reasons for you--one, that it was in the magazine. Two, that this is hugely more effective than a snobby editorial. I mean, I would rather read about someone's opinions stated in the powerful, expressive form of poetry rather than just ranting blatantly. I might not look at things the same way as this person but this is still a great poem.

on Jul. 25 2011 at 8:59 am
purplequeen BRONZE, Boston, Massachusetts
1 article 0 photos 55 comments
3 stars it was okay how did it get on the first page??

on Jul. 25 2011 at 12:23 am
ToraToriTora PLATINUM, Gilbert, Arizona
21 articles 12 photos 29 comments

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.&rdquo;<br /> -Albert Einstein

This is a really touching poem, and I love how you are really putting your opinions into art like this. Though I am straight, I have a bunch of gay friends who are so hilarious and are great company and I love them to pieces. I totally respect their choice, but... I personally prefer the menfolk ;D

on Jul. 11 2011 at 1:24 pm
ElleNicole BRONZE, St. Louis, Missouri
2 articles 0 photos 107 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;My role in society, or any artist&#039;s or poet&#039;s role, is to try and express what we all feel. Not to tell people how to feel. Not as a preacher, not as a leader, but as a reflection of us all.&quot;

Amazing.

on Jul. 3 2011 at 11:34 pm
loveaysia BRONZE, Sydney, Other
4 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
Wanting To Be Someone Else Is A Waste Of The Person You Are.

i really like this poem!! :) it's so true and deep! if you don't mind could you check out mine? It's entitled "The Magic Man"

on Jul. 3 2011 at 4:21 pm
BlackHeartOMine BRONZE, Springfield, Missouri
4 articles 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
Proverbs 11:16 (look it up!)

I really like your poem.  It's very deep and full of passion and emotion.  It's not blunt about what it is about, and that's what I find most intriguing about it.  It is very beautiful and wonderful.

on Jul. 3 2011 at 3:58 pm

I so agree. So true. I love it. I am going to share it with everyone one my email list.

: )


on Jul. 3 2011 at 3:16 pm
PadmeAmidala GOLD, Ramona, California
17 articles 0 photos 18 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.&quot;

The government shouldn't have gotten involved in the first place...

on Jul. 3 2011 at 12:23 pm
beautifulmudblood BRONZE, Grovetown, Georgia
2 articles 0 photos 11 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Thomas Edison&#039;s last words were &#039;It&#039;s very beautiful over there&#039;. I don&#039;t know where there is, but I believe it&#039;s somewhere, and I hope it&#039;s beautiful.&quot; -John Green (Looking For Alaska)

I love this poem, and I'm sharing it with everyone I know, because it's beautifully distinct voice needs to be heard. 

on Jul. 3 2011 at 12:22 pm
beautifulmudblood BRONZE, Grovetown, Georgia
2 articles 0 photos 11 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Thomas Edison&#039;s last words were &#039;It&#039;s very beautiful over there&#039;. I don&#039;t know where there is, but I believe it&#039;s somewhere, and I hope it&#039;s beautiful.&quot; -John Green (Looking For Alaska)

I wholeheartedly applaud this comment. 

IamRevy BRONZE said...
on Jul. 3 2011 at 11:20 am
IamRevy BRONZE, State Of Mind, Other
4 articles 0 photos 24 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Trying to please the world is a self-made curse&quot;

Taking a stance beautiful looking for positivity where only negativity is surrounded. Lovely piece

on Jul. 3 2011 at 7:58 am
titangods31 GOLD, Brevard, North Carolina
11 articles 5 photos 14 comments

Favorite Quote:
real eyes realize real lies/ true love never fades

seriously? I mean why would you ever read this if you hated poetry?! how does that even make sence? this was amazing you just dont know beauty when you see it.

 


on Jun. 17 2011 at 7:59 pm
WishfulDoer GOLD, Portland, Oregon
14 articles 0 photos 69 comments

Favorite Quote:
If ignorance is bliss, why is our country so complicated?

To the person who wrote, and I quote, "I respectfully disagree :)", fine. You have your opinion, as we have ours. All I have to say is, I hope you understand what you brought unto yourself. I also hope that you aren't taken aback by the abuse you've received for your comment, because that in itself would be a disappointment. 

You went against not only the writer, but the other 300 or so members who praised the poem when you wrote something that I personally find to be extremely inappropriate. I advise you to watch what you say, and although you did write that you "respectfully" disagree, it does not justify what you said.


CarolynQ GOLD said...
on Jun. 14 2011 at 11:11 pm
CarolynQ GOLD, Manalapan, New Jersey
10 articles 0 photos 220 comments
One thing I really like is that this poem goes so deep and is so simple to understand and it fits for the real world. Applaud yourself, this deserved to be in the magazine.

on Jun. 14 2011 at 11:01 pm
SecretFlame PLATINUM, Portland, Oregon
20 articles 1 photo 373 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;I have a life. I just choose to ignore it.&quot;<br /> -one of my friends

To "i hate poetry 67": You need to click off the internet and go watch Barney because you clearly don't know your manners. 

Ricky1013 said...
on Jun. 11 2011 at 9:22 pm

Ugh, I knew what I was getting into when I visited this "Teen ink" website-- emphasis on the teen. Look, let me spell it out for you, although you may say you "respectfully" disagree we all know that's not the case. Anyone who disagrees with equal liberties for all, especially those concerning homosexual marriage is a complete bigot. A blind individual with no sense of just direction; morally bankrupt. How can you respectfully deny rights to hundreds of thousands of people. Your opinions have no thought, or reason.

Lets do a little turning of the tables shall we? How would you feel, if every day you were told by society-- by people you've known and loved all your life, that your love is wrong, corrupt, tainted? Or even that your life is worth nothing simply because of something as arbitrary as preference; something you can't control. That’s like telling a cancer patient they're some sort of disappointment. How would you feel? But, obviously this doesn't concern you. Its apparent in your lack of empathy you wretched person you.


ricky1013 said...
on Jun. 11 2011 at 9:20 pm
This is a reply to a comment below sorry for the mispost.

Ricky1013 said...
on Jun. 11 2011 at 9:19 pm

Ugh, I knew what I was getting into when I visited this "Teen ink" website-- emphasis on the teen. Look, let me spell it out for you, although you may say you "respectfully" disagree we all know that's not the case. Anyone who disagrees with equal liberties for all, especially those concerning homosexual marriage is a complete bigot. A blind individual with no sense of just direction; morally bankrupt. How can you respectfully deny rights to hundreds of thousands of people. Your opinions have no thought, or reason.

Lets do a little turning of the tables shall we? How would you feel, if every day you were told by society-- by people you've known and loved all your life, that your love is wrong, corrupt, tainted? Or even that your life is worth nothing simply because of something as arbitrary as preference; something you can't control. That’s like telling a cancer patient they're some sort of disappointment. How would you feel? But, obviously this doesn't concern you. Its apparent in your lack of empathy you wretched person you.