I’ve always loved this poem by celebrated author Judith Viorst and I recently found an old copy clipped from a magazine that I’d stuck away long ago.
If I were in charge of the world
by Judith Viorst
by Judith Viorst
If I were in charge of the world
I’d cancel oatmeal,
Monday mornings,
Allergy shots, and also
Sarah Steinberg.
I’d cancel oatmeal,
Monday mornings,
Allergy shots, and also
Sarah Steinberg.
If I were in charge of the world
There’d be brighter night lights,
Healthier hamsters, and
Basketball baskets 48 inches lower.
There’d be brighter night lights,
Healthier hamsters, and
Basketball baskets 48 inches lower.
If I were in charge of the world
You wouldn’t have lonely.
You wouldn’t have clean.
You wouldn’t have bedtimes,
Or “Don’t punch your sister.”
You wouldn’t even have sisters.
If I were in charge of the world
A chocolate sundae with whipped
cream and nuts
would be a vegetable.
All 007 movies would be G.
And a person who sometimes forgot to brush.
And sometimes forgot to flush,
Would still be allowed to be
In charge of the world.
I love the child’s perspective but as I read it over several times the day I discovered it in an old notebook of mine I couldn’t help but reflect on how I see it now because I’m taking in all the news of the world and struggling with it. I’m thankful to have a Democratic president in the WH and he makes mistakes but right now there is an overwhelming amount of terribleness happening even beyond Covid-19. Here’s my version; not as much fun yet it fits all my worries in just as Viorst’s young character has his list of annoyances.
If I were in charge of the world
If I were in charge of the world
we would have never gone to Afghanistan in the first place
But because we did invade I certainly would have pulled Afghan families
who helped us out of the country first, we owe them a safe place to live.
But because we did invade I certainly would have pulled Afghan families
who helped us out of the country first, we owe them a safe place to live.
If I were in charge of the world
I would help Haiti, the tiny island country
That the French and Americans historically have ravaged
I would write a decree that these two wealthy nations would
build a workable infrastructure that will withstand the weather.
The Haitian people should build alongside us at living wages so they might prosper
And have a real chance to recover.
That the French and Americans historically have ravaged
I would write a decree that these two wealthy nations would
build a workable infrastructure that will withstand the weather.
The Haitian people should build alongside us at living wages so they might prosper
And have a real chance to recover.
If I were in charge of the world
Marijuana charges would be dropped and factory farms would be shuttered forever.
Real farms would thrive and high fructose corn syrup would be a distant memory.
Higher education and health insurance would be affordable for all.
Marijuana charges would be dropped and factory farms would be shuttered forever.
Real farms would thrive and high fructose corn syrup would be a distant memory.
Higher education and health insurance would be affordable for all.
If I were in charge of the world
Donald Trump would be already in prison for tax evasion,
inciting the insurrection on January 6th, and
for mocking the pandemic and wearing a mask.
A health crisis that could have been a means to unite us
turned into a political shit storm.
Raging fires and massive storms
too many to count. Climate change
Maybe Greta Thunberg would be my #1
If I were in charge of the world
I wouldn’t be able to stop or fix all of these things
but I’d have empathy, I’d listen and try to help as much as possible
with new solutions and out-of-the-box thinking.
The end (but literally the list could go on and on)
As a highly empathetic person it is hard to bear everything in the world today. And I’m back in school which is wonderful on one side-great to see all the students but also worried for outbreaks with all of us together. Most students are not masked up and I didn’t want to go back to school with a mask on but I am wearing it as much as possible to stay safe and model that we do hard things to keep others safe. The world is a mess and it is also filled with beauty.
When I feel all of this I have to seek out my community of friends and I find my way to the mat with Adriene. My yoga quest continues and that all helps. So does cooking up a storm. I also imagined I left for Haiti one day…
August is ending. Maybe the softer temperatures of September will bring relief.
Peaceful Reader 