They’ve been wondering when
It would be them and it has
Finally occurred with a
Ferocity they could not
Imagine no matter how many of
Their friends told them
About it, the leveling of
Life, limb, love, in one
Deafening, punishing blow;
A child sits in an ambulance.
This wealthy country
Heeding its bleakest impulses,
Depriving its most
Vulnerable of basic dignity,
Massaging plutocrats while
Ignoring people dying
In gutters from entirely
Preventable causes,
A mighty nation rendered
Ordinary by disregarding
Its higher ideals,
An experiment teetering
On the brink of failure
While a few abscond
With the spoils.
It really just boils
Down to fear,
Having done what they did
To human beings
Just to make a buck or
Feel better about their
Own wretched lives.
They’re terrified of
The same thing being
Done to them, the
Fury of retribution.
Instead of atoning,
They pretend it didn’t happen,
Desperately struggling
To hold back
The searing inferno.
They come together
Not because of chance
But certainly due to habit,
A familiarity born from
Repetition, recurrence,
Distrust for deviation,
Simple, predictable
Results emanating from
Hurt and fear.
She’s convinced herself
That the years of hearing
She didn’t matter had no
Effect on her when absolutely
Every single thing she does,
And has done for the past
Many years, to destroy herself
Is the result of a
Callous insult,
Contemptuous look,
Dismissive shrug.
He looks straight
At the camera, all
Bravado and confidence,
And blathers on about
Some fake plan that will,
As usual, damage
Vulnerable people,
Definitely not help them,
His swagger finely honed by
Years of not having to
Think of others while
Enjoying the fruits of
Contemptible rapacity.
Unwilling to hear
Anything that doesn’t
Conform to their
Intransigent views,
A world full of fear,
Out to get them,
Deprive them of
The next victory
Over opponents who would
Make them lose control.
At a certain age,
He found out that
One of the benefits of
Living in a free society
Was being able to express
His views about absolutely
Any subject, regardless of
Whether he knew what he was
Talking about or was aware
In any way of the unpleasant
Repercussions of his beliefs,
Whether they would ravage
The very freedom he professed
To love so much or relegate
Certain people to second-class
Status, he really could not
Have cared less, all he truly
Was ever concerned about was
Getting back at someone.
