Humanist Voices in Verse: Dennis Ricks

We’re pleased to feature a new poet this week, Dennis Ricks!

If you’d like to contribute original poetry to Humanist Voices in Verse, write to hnn@americanhumanist.org with “Poetry” in the subject line. Please send no more than three poems for consideration per week.

 

 

Just Who Am I? 

I’ve often been labeled an optimist.

That’s better than being a pessimist.

But when life’s bad days come their way,

I’m really a positive pragmatist.

 

My employees think I’m a capitalist,

Republicans call me a socialist,

I think the poor should have much more,

But please do not call me a communist.

 

My mother would call me a scientist.

My kids think I’m more of a futurist.

But when at night I see the sky,

I can’t help but become a cosmologist.

 

My father would call me an atheist,

My wife thinks of me as an ethicist,

Just who am I? Until I die –

I’ll think of myself as a Humanist.

—Dennis Ricks