They all say
It doesn’t matter,
Nonchalance covering for
Ambiguity, confusion, fear.
In moments
Away from the crowd,
They know there is
Something else.
For now, they avoid it,
Hoping it will resolve itself,
Much easier than
Having to think about it.
Each day passes,
And with it the opportunity
To acknowledge
What’s missing.
Not a moment’s peace for her,
A self-imposed trajectory
Unimpeded by introspection or
Even the faintest understanding
That maybe things
Could be different.
She’s become so used to
This particular routine,
Refusing to consider any other,
Shallow depth of field,
Never seeing the horizon.
Daunting but necessary,
Sometimes things need
To be shaken up,
Moved from where they
Have been all this time,
Gathering dust,
Helping no one do anything
But remain in place,
Atrophying,
Wondering what happened,
Not doing anything
About it.
Heightened expectations,
Consistent disillusion
Exacerbated by impatience.
Waiting becomes a familiar,
Unwanted companion.
So many other things to
Be done, dreams to be
Fulfilled, moments of joy,
Return to calmness.
Mr. Robin
Comes by to visit.
He looks at me,
I wonder what
He’s thinking.
It doesn’t matter,
I’m just glad
He’s here,
My little bird friend.
An easy way
To destroy democracy:
Pretend that all
Points of view are
Equivalent,
No matter how false,
Misguided, or hurtful.
Make sure all the
Voices that want to
Build a kinder world
For everyone are
Lumped in with the ones
Seduced by fear,
Cruelty, and lust for power.
Make believe
All ideas have equal merit,
Until facts don’t matter
And we lose our sense of
The greater good.
Enamored with positions of
Supposed authority,
Constantly fixated on
Self-preservation,
Uneasy, imbalanced, suspicious,
Routinely unenlightened,
Limiting growth,
Punishing change,
Loathing insight,
Enabling dysfunction,
Shunning anyone who
Doesn’t fall in line,
Ordinariness covering for itself.
Parts of me,
My history,
Strewn about in
Different places,
Unrecognized by
Anyone else,
Fragments of a
Bygone time,
Vivid in my mind only.
A heavy sigh,
How it all passes.
He goes off on yet
Another long-winded and
Excruciatingly boring commentary
On some topic he thinks
Makes him appear erudite but
Is really just another
Desperate attempt to be
More important than others,
Trying to overcome the
Voices of disapproval that
Won’t leave him alone
No matter what his title.
