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 Jun. 11 2011 at 8:15 pm
SecretFlame PLATINUM, Portland, Oregon
20 articles 1 photo 373 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I have a life. I just choose to ignore it."
-one of my friends

This is an amazing poem. With a wonderful message. You go girl!

 


on Jun. 11 2011 at 8:09 pm
Allis-in-Wonderland PLATINUM, Cartersville, Georgia
38 articles 1 photo 63 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Sometimes people leave you...halfway through The Wood. Do not let it grieve you...No one leaves for good. You are not alone, for no one is alone." -Into The Woods

Can you guys check out my channel and look at my poems? Please? Thanks! I think You'd like them as much as you did this one!

on Jun. 11 2011 at 6:43 pm
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

Better question, i hate poetry 67: why did you even get an account here if you hate poetry? I agree with jocyLOL. You're not so smart.

on Jun. 11 2011 at 6:40 pm
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

I agree with this poem completely. Since when does the government have the right to tell two adults who love eachother they can't get married?

extrablaah said...
on Jun. 11 2011 at 1:05 pm
You respectfully disagree with a smilie? How can you when all she wants is for people to spread less hate and to give people equal rights. I agree with her :) Awesome poem!

on Jun. 11 2011 at 9:01 am
R5andParamore BRONZE, Manalapan, New Jersey
2 articles 0 photos 67 comments
This sis very good and VERY well written. VERY powerful! GREAT JOB!!!

on Jun. 11 2011 at 2:04 am
HipsterUnicorn. BRONZE, Pendleton, Oregon
3 articles 0 photos 48 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Love is the Movement."

This is so empowering.

on Jun. 11 2011 at 12:14 am
joyfuldancer SILVER, Easton, Maryland
6 articles 0 photos 17 comments

Favorite Quote:
I'm not a perfect person, I'm a forgiven person.

I'm with u Lils101...God created marriage 4 one man and one woman...its nice to know that there are still some moral people in this world.  And to psychokidd...dude, yeah God created us all, but no He didn't create some of us to be homos.  Thats just like saying that He created some of us to be serial killers or rapists or anything else that violates His holy law. 

on Jun. 6 2011 at 11:27 pm
FallenAngel1 SILVER, Chula Vista, California
9 articles 0 photos 68 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Good Night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that i shall say good night till it be morrow."-Romeo and Juliet act II scene II, William Shakespeare
"What's In a name? That which we call a rosse by any other name would smell as sweet."-Romeo

This is GREAT.

on May. 28 2011 at 12:12 pm
Rachael Boneck BRONZE, North Prairie, Wisconsin
2 articles 0 photos 3 comments
i don't know how you could say that with a smile if you believe that the point of her poem is wrong and that those people don't deserve equal rights.

asila. said...
on May. 26 2011 at 2:19 pm
asila., Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment
♥ greaaaaaaaat

on May. 20 2011 at 8:52 pm
kitkat95 SILVER, Lake Worth, Florida
5 articles 0 photos 22 comments
i agree thanz for adding some sense to this

on May. 20 2011 at 8:51 pm
kitkat95 SILVER, Lake Worth, Florida
5 articles 0 photos 22 comments
then i giess that is really your problem

on May. 20 2011 at 1:23 pm
Fuggin_Fuggers SILVER, San Jacinto, California
6 articles 0 photos 28 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Sometimes it not about winning the race,its just being apart of it."
"Life's like an hour glass glued to a table."

that was great and i really loved it

jimmy_a GOLD said...
on May. 20 2011 at 11:12 am
jimmy_a GOLD, Sanford, North Carolina
12 articles 0 photos 40 comments

Favorite Quote:
Look for me, not with a flashlight but open your heart n free your soul n there my love i shall be

thats was deep young sista

on May. 20 2011 at 9:34 am
Brittney123 BRONZE, Mishawaka, Indiana
2 articles 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
I asked you if I was PRETTY, you said NO.
I asked you if I was FAT, you said YES OF COURSE.
I asked if you WANTED to be with me forever, you said NO.
I asked you if you would CRY if I walked away, you said NO.
I had heard too much and needed to leave and
as I walked away…
you grabbed my arm and told me to stay.
You said…
your not PRETTY, your BEAUTIFUL.
The only thing FAT, or BIG, about you is your HEART.
I don’t WANT to be with you forever, I NEED to be with you forever.
And, Baby I wouldn’t CRY, if you walked away…
I would DYE.

i get this. its so strong and it means pretty much everyging

itchc said...
on May. 20 2011 at 9:21 am
WOWWWWW that was a really good pome.

on May. 20 2011 at 8:17 am
Dunkelheitstieg BRONZE, Baldwin, Florida
4 articles 0 photos 92 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The poet ranks far below the painter in the representation of visible things, and far below the musician in that of invisible things. Why does the eye see a thing more clearly in dreams than the imagination when awake?,"Leonardo da Vinci.

Wow. That is so true, and I wish they would sya yes to that people.

on May. 20 2011 at 4:51 am
TolkienLewisWhitman BRONZE, Millersburg, Ohio
2 articles 0 photos 9 comments

Favorite Quote:
"All of my posessions for a moment of time." ~ Queen Elizabeth I

This is wonderful! It has a mystical feel, but is still grounded to the real world! It really makes the reader think after reading.

jocyLOL BRONZE said...
on May. 7 2011 at 10:09 pm
jocyLOL BRONZE, San Jose, California
2 articles 0 photos 17 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Everybody dies but not everybody lives" (moment for life-nicki minaj)

if you hate poetry so much, then why are you wasting your time reading poetry? i hate poetry 67, you're not so smart. BTW this poem is awesome <3 I love it