If I Were in Charge of the World | Teen Ink
  1. Home
  2. Poetry
  3. Free Verse
  4. If I Were in Charge of the World

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.

© Anonymous

Post a comment
Submit your own

Similar Articles

Previous Next
Poetry
To a Brother Growing Up
By imperfection GOLD
Gilroy, California
imperfection GOLD, Gilroy, California
17 articles 9 photos 45 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Dream as though you'll live forever, live as though you'll die today."
~James Dean (1931-1955), American Motion Picture Actor, symbol of rebellion

View profile
Poetry
The Death Sentence
By Chris Shu BRONZE
Fort Lee, New Jersey
Chris Shu BRONZE, Fort Lee, New Jersey
1 article 0 photos 0 comments
View profile
Poetry
Oh, let me be
By Forgotten_and_Lost GOLD
Coffeyville, Kansas
Forgotten_and_Lost GOLD, Coffeyville, Kansas
13 articles 0 photos 2 comments
View profile
Poetry
Maybe I&#39ll let my Heart be Happy
By MariaMarie DIAMOND
Washington Court House, Ohio
MariaMarie DIAMOND, Washington Court House, Ohio
70 articles 0 photos 181 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Life's a mountain on a beach"-Unknown
"Will: This is either madness or brilliance. Sparrow: It's remarkable how often those two traits coincide."-Pirates of the Caribbean:Curse of the Black Pearl.

View profile
Poetry
School is Splendid and Spectacular
By James Yu BRONZE
Chandler, Arizona
James Yu BRONZE, Chandler, Arizona
4 articles 0 photos 0 comments
View profile
Poetry
Waiting
By wordweaver96 PLATINUM
Winchester, Kentucky
wordweaver96 PLATINUM, Winchester, Kentucky
37 articles 2 photos 254 comments

Favorite Quote:
" It is not our abilities but our choices that show who we truly are. "
Albus Dumbledore


See, we really DON'T have anything to fear but fear itself!

View profile

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 259 comments.

cascadeblanche BRONZE said...
on Mar. 12 2011 at 9:42 pm
cascadeblanche BRONZE, Winder, Georgia
1 article 2 photos 6 comments
View profile
I loved it! You think of things I never would've though of.
kena...3 said...
on Mar. 11 2011 at 7:59 am
i luv dis poem u did a great job!!
starsandotherthings BRONZE said...
on Feb. 18 2011 at 8:42 pm
starsandotherthings BRONZE, Grand Isle, Louisiana
1 article 0 photos 18 comments

Favorite Quote:
" To be old and wise, you must first be young and stupid" "Paper is more patient than man"

View profile
Amazing, i would love it if you ruled the world. I hate spiders =]
writerinfinity PLATINUM said...
on Jan. 27 2011 at 6:40 pm
writerinfinity PLATINUM, Arlington, Texas
35 articles 0 photos 105 comments
View profile
Very good! I love it!
ShelbyMarie93 PLATINUM said...
on Jan. 27 2011 at 3:16 pm
ShelbyMarie93 PLATINUM, Lexington, Nebraska
35 articles 1 photo 62 comments

Favorite Quote:
"When Death to either shall come -- I pray it be first to me." ~Robert Bridges
or
"Life is not a jump; it's a headfirst dive."
or
"Within you I lose myself; without you I find myself wanting to be lost again."

╔══╗
╚╗╔╝
╔╝(¯`v´¯)
╚══`.¸.Isaac H.

View profile

Simply mind-opening! Love it! I'd love it if someone with your talent would check out my work! If you decide to, please rate it and comment leaving your feedback! THANKS!

PS...DEFINITELY keep writing, you're amazing!

WerewolfWriting BRONZE said...
on Jan. 27 2011 at 9:44 am
WerewolfWriting BRONZE, Eerie, Nevada
4 articles 0 photos 32 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Life is not about the breaths we take but about the people who take our breath away."

View profile
I agree with the world you portray! :) Your world is simple and easygoing and banishes the fear of your flip-flops breaking. :)
Jamers_smile GOLD said...
on Jan. 27 2011 at 8:13 am
Jamers_smile GOLD, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
11 articles 0 photos 7 comments

Favorite Quote:
art should comfort the disturbed, and disturb the comfortable.

View profile
i like the message you're trying to get across, but i'm not sure the way you have things worded is the most powerful way you can have them. some lines are kind of confusing, and you're ending doesn't really pull together; i feel like the poem could have been continued .... overall it was decent, but somethings could use a look over...
Jones said...
on Jan. 6 2011 at 5:38 pm
Jones, Spotsylvania, Virginia
0 articles 0 photos 10 comments

Favorite Quote:
Hey

View profile
I thoroughly enjoy the simplicity of the words. I disagree with others. Sometimes there is no need to use many confusing and "big" words, when the message you want to portray is very quite simple. I am one for the naiive mind (not to say that is what you are). But I understand the pureness in your words. I appreciate the focus
TheWanderingMoo SILVER said...
on Jan. 5 2011 at 2:07 pm
TheWanderingMoo SILVER, Oberrieden, Other
8 articles 0 photos 20 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Leave the cat alone, for what has the cat done to you that you should so afflict it with tape?\"
-Ian Frazier

View profile
I think that a child-like and simplistic voice can be utilized, as it is done in this case, to provide insight  and emphasis to the views being expressed.
BelleVie11 said...
on Jan. 5 2011 at 10:32 am
I thoroughly enjoy the simplicity of the words. I disagree with others. Sometimes there is no need to use many confusing and "big" words, when the message you want to portray is very quite simple. I am one for the naiive mind (not to say that is what you are). But I understand the pureness in your words. I appreciate the focus and AGAIN... the simplicity. Why confuse your readers? Why make it "look" good to the world, when it is YOUR world? Keep up the good work!
J.Francoise-Marie BRONZE said...
on Dec. 14 2010 at 10:01 pm
J.Francoise-Marie BRONZE, Hanover, Massachusetts
4 articles 0 photos 1 comment
View profile
I love the last 2 lines, very powerful!!
WindDancer GOLD said...
on Dec. 14 2010 at 3:42 pm
WindDancer GOLD, Lexington, Kentucky
10 articles 3 photos 77 comments

Favorite Quote:
"It's time to start living the life you've imagined"
- Henry James

"I read to escape, I write to confront."

View profile

I would like very much to go to your world :)

Keep writing!

kkjk2222fgh2h2 said...
on Dec. 14 2010 at 3:38 pm
I AGREE with you
bob 1234567890 said...
on Dec. 14 2010 at 1:54 pm

dont like it

 

8MiSuNdErStOoD8 BRONZE said...
on Dec. 14 2010 at 12:57 pm
8MiSuNdErStOoD8 BRONZE, Pembroke Pines, Florida
1 article 0 photos 10 comments

Favorite Quote:
“There are four questions of value in life... What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made? What is worth living for, and what is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same. Only love.”

View profile
that was great :)
HPettit BRONZE said...
on Dec. 10 2010 at 11:08 am
HPettit BRONZE, Cowpens, South Carolina
2 articles 0 photos 3 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Shoot for the moon, even if you miss you'll land among the stars."

View profile

this is pretty awesome(: haha

good use of vocab & reference to Archimedes.

singergurl12 GOLD said...
on Dec. 10 2010 at 9:52 am
singergurl12 GOLD, Jacksonville, Florida
15 articles 0 photos 190 comments

Favorite Quote:
Fairy tales are true, not because they tell us dragons exist, but because they tell us dragons can be beaten.

View profile
thats what writing is- taking anothers idea and making it your own. so what if you saw something a little like it? even if that same poem inspired Jessica to write this, that writer should be proud he or she inspired something as great as this. good work, Jessica.
gargar SILVER said...
on Nov. 22 2010 at 9:20 pm
gargar SILVER, .., New Jersey
8 articles 9 photos 11 comments
View profile
check out some of mine if you can :) i take negative and postivie criticism
gargar SILVER said...
on Nov. 22 2010 at 9:19 pm
gargar SILVER, .., New Jersey
8 articles 9 photos 11 comments
View profile
The messege is good but honestly it could have been better articulated. The whole "if I was in charge of the world" thing sounds like a topic we would write on in elementary school. Maybe in future poems try to make your poem structure, vocabulary, etc. as sophistocated as the concepts. 
SaMiLoVe97 SILVER said...
on Nov. 22 2010 at 9:17 pm
SaMiLoVe97 SILVER, Okawville, Illinois
9 articles 3 photos 105 comments

Favorite Quote:
If it doesnt break your heart it isnt love, if it doesnt break your heart its not enough. Its when youre breaking down with your insides coming out.Thats when you learn what youre made of.-Switchfoot<3

View profile
I sat here for like an hour trying to figure out if i knew the name. I drew a blank