Can't You Hear Me?
Location
I am more than just/ a face in the crowd/ I have a voice / and I want to be heard / Beyond the reaches of Northern New Jersey / the world in which I live / I want all to know / that I am not just an average Joe / I am Joseph Conciatori / a poet, a dreamer, an artist / working in words / the way other artists work in pastels or clay / I want my poetic voice to be heard / by thousands upon thousands of people / I want to touch the souls of millions / and express my true feelings / as if they could relate to / every aspect of my life / I want to SHOUT it out / to express myself / and flood the world with inspiration and encouragement / Here I am / a young man from northern New Jersey / a mere college student / but at the same time, so much more / I want to be the voice of a generation / the voice of hope in these hard times / in a time of difficulty / I personally feel / that I embody the voice of inspiration / Who says I'm not perfect? / Who says I'm not worth it? / I don't want to be the only one who's heard it / Can't you hear me? / I have a voice / and I want to be heard / I want to be the shining light of inspiration / to a world that is suffering beyond belief / I want to be heard / everywhere from the slums of Paterson, NJ / to the desert sands of Iraq and Afghanistan / and the Crimean Peninsula / I want to be heard by American soldiers / Russians and Ukranians / the deprived souls of North Korea / and even those on the most remote islands / this poem is for the struggling / those who suffer from physical pain / and not only pain, but mental doubts / those who do not believe in themselves / Can't you hear me? / I want YOU / I mean YOU / to be the best possible version of yourself / because you wouldn't want to be everyone else / I'm not the most handsome guy in the world / nor am I the greatest poet who ever lived / but I have some of that star potential / I could just as well be presidential / I am the shining light of inspiration / the man in the crowd / who just wants everyone in the world / to hear his voice.