If I Were in Charge of the World | Teen Ink

If I Were in Charge of the World MAG

By Anonymous

(Apologies to Judith Viorst)
If I were in charge of the world
My favorite flip-flops would never wear out.
There would be no books of poems with the
last page missing,
No hairy spiders to hide in the corners.
If I were in charge of the world
I would have a never-ending string of puddles
to jump in,
And mothers would never scold their children
for tracking mud halfway down the hall.
If I were in charge of the world
There would never be hungry but always satisfied,
Except in the classroom, where
There would be endless shelves of books to feed
voracious minds.
I would find a way to make it easier
For everyone to understand that sometimes the same
stars can make
multiple constellations,
And that Archimedes was right:
You can move the world if only you have a lever and
a place to stand.



Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 259 comments.


on Oct. 18 2011 at 8:03 pm
SophieG. SILVER, St. Davids, Pennsylvania
5 articles 0 photos 47 comments

I liked it, v. inspiring! Please please check out my poems, they are called "Murder' and "Theif, which is the next article after "Murder".

Sophie


on Oct. 18 2011 at 7:20 pm
Laura_Oliver GOLD, Manchester, Connecticut
12 articles 2 photos 122 comments

Aw, this is a nice poem. Four stars at least! Nice message, too.

And plus I would really appreciate it if you could check out some of my work, too, like "The Reason in Blackmail".

Oh, and usually, the last page of the book doesn't really contribute to the story much. But that's beside the point (^_^)


on Oct. 18 2011 at 1:21 pm
Awesome! Very inspiring poem...makes me want to go write something beautiful. It's simple yet very beautiful, and sometimes the loveliest things in the world are the simplest, right? ;)

on Sep. 26 2011 at 3:18 pm
i love this! it uses such great wording and flows so well, and i love the fact that it makes a great point and that the pure simplicity of the poem emphasizes the main point and makes it that much more powerful. wonderfully written!

wishonastar said...
on Sep. 4 2011 at 9:41 pm
wishonastar, Muskego, Wisconsin
0 articles 0 photos 9 comments

Favorite Quote:
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain.

Wow. I don't even know what to say, this is so good!!!!

on Sep. 4 2011 at 7:30 pm
Ellabell PLATINUM, Columbia, Missouri
21 articles 1 photo 20 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I have not yet begun to fight!"
John Paul Jones

Great ending! So simple and so powerful.

MLStamp SILVER said...
on Sep. 4 2011 at 1:06 pm
MLStamp SILVER, Annandale, Virginia
8 articles 0 photos 35 comments

Favorite Quote:
Thats what we all are. Ameteurs. We don't live long enough to become anything else. -Charlie Chaplin

I love how everything you want to change is so simple and personal to you. Definitely adding ot to my favs!

on Aug. 13 2011 at 12:58 pm
emilybwrites SILVER, Villa Hills, Kentucky
5 articles 0 photos 112 comments

Favorite Quote:
last night i lay in bed, looking up at the stars and i thought to myself, where the heck is the ceiling?

wow captivatiing :) could you please check out my poems "Forgotten Domain" and "Cumulus Prison" and comment/rate them? im dying for some insight!

on Aug. 13 2011 at 12:02 pm
sunny.all.day. GOLD, Potomac, Maryland
15 articles 0 photos 69 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you."
— A.A. Milne (Winnie-the-Pooh)
"writing is a struggle against silence" carlos fuentos
You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."

i love the last line :) but the whole poem is great, too

on Aug. 13 2011 at 11:29 am
Lola_Black GOLD, Harrison, Michigan
11 articles 2 photos 276 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I've always been famous. It's just everybody's just now finding out." --Lady Gaga

Wow. I wish you were in charge of the world! Nice work, and keep writing! : )

dancestar GOLD said...
on Aug. 13 2011 at 8:13 am
dancestar GOLD, Westford, Massachusetts
13 articles 0 photos 127 comments

Favorite Quote:
BE WHO YOU WANNA BE NOT WHO OTHERS WANNA SEE!!!

that was really beautiful and wonderful ending! i always have problems with endings! check out my work if you have time! :)

on Jul. 22 2011 at 11:09 pm
Jessi Chan BRONZE, New York, New York
2 articles 0 photos 3 comments
what a wonderful piece! the ending was beautiful. if you have a chance, check my piece out! thanks!

purpleink said...
on Jul. 22 2011 at 10:20 pm
I wish you could change the world...i'd totally love living in it!

A_____ said...
on Jul. 22 2011 at 3:10 pm
A_____, Columbus, Ohio
0 articles 0 photos 133 comments
I love the last line.

on Jul. 22 2011 at 1:11 pm
writerthinkerdreamer BRONZE, Narnia, Massachusetts
3 articles 0 photos 32 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Just keep swimming," ~Dory, Finding Nemo

This is great! I love it, and like it was said before me, I don't think Judith would mind :)

on Jul. 22 2011 at 10:25 am
ElleNicole BRONZE, St. Louis, Missouri
2 articles 0 photos 107 comments

Favorite Quote:
"My role in society, or any artist's or poet'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."

This is really good. =)

Check out my work? Thanks.


on Jul. 22 2011 at 6:06 am
praveen.Trichy PLATINUM, Thirchy, Other
25 articles 0 photos 57 comments

Favorite Quote:
cruel leaders are replaced only to turn other leaders cruel

broken;why r u thinking so dude,had you read any poems like this before?????

 


on Jul. 19 2011 at 5:41 am
BrokenThorn BRONZE, Blenheim, Other
3 articles 0 photos 28 comments

Favorite Quote:
"You've lived your life Like a candle in the wind. Not knowing who to cling to when the rain set in"
- Sir Elton John

This is not your own work. Please comment yourself and clear that up?

on Jul. 19 2011 at 5:40 am
BrokenThorn BRONZE, Blenheim, Other
3 articles 0 photos 28 comments

Favorite Quote:
"You've lived your life Like a candle in the wind. Not knowing who to cling to when the rain set in"
- Sir Elton John

Um, this poem only has like two lines different to the original work. Not posting more clearly you are taking someone else's work is a bit sad.

on Jun. 30 2011 at 8:00 pm
poetfaery BRONZE, Coventry, Rhode Island
1 article 1 photo 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Some people are like Slinkies. Not really good for much, but bring a smile to your face when pushed down the stairs."

Awesome! I don't think Judith Viorst would mind a bit ;)