No matter what happens or
How weird things get.
You’re always there.
An oasis of solace and comfort
In roiling seas.
A refuge from
The heartless vicissitudes that
Challenge my mettle.
You’ll always be with me,
My beloved waffle iron.
Inside every living
Human being resides
The secret to
Solving all the world’s
Problems, a beautiful
Light shining brightly,
Promising love, hope,
Unconditional compassion.
We know it exists
Because countless
People each day do
Something kind or
Selfless for someone
Else for no other
Reason than because of
Their common humanity.
There’s a particular
Kind of low-grade
Headache that insinuates
Itself whenever I have
To do anything remotely
Related to math or
Have to watch or listen
To something that I
Find excruciatingly
Boring. It’s not awful
Enough to scream but
It is annoying, draining,
Sort of like when I
Have to spend time
With certain people and
Pretend I’m enjoying it.
Let me tell you
Something about
The world: It’s a
Cold, dark, savage
Place where the only
Way to survive is to
Kill or be killed.
Forget all this
Touchy-feely stuff
About diversity or
Diplomacy, the only
Thing people understand
Is a harsh slap
Across the face.
My bomb is bigger
Than yours, that’s all
That matters, your
Ideas about peace and
Collaboration are
Only naive
Pipe dreams.
Walking along a familiar
Path, I look up and
Marvel at the leaves
Of a particular tree
I had not noticed before.
Later, In a strangely
Serendipitous coincidence,
Someone asks me a question,
I respond that I’m the guy
Who looks at the leaves.
People have
Given their
Lives
For you
To say
You’re not
One of those,
So you can
Live the life
You’ve become
Accustomed to,
Reap
The rewards
Without
Putting in
The effort,
Revel in your
Voluntary
Myopia
Aggravated by
Ignorance,
Insensitivity.
Adolescently clever plan
Concocted by anxious minds
Jostling for position.
Fragile egos contrive
A storyline whereby
Half the population
Huddles at the mercy of
Self-appointed masters,
Insecure autocrats with
Weak self-esteem
Dominating others to
Feel better about themselves.
The broken leading the
Unfortunate, artificial
Power differentials,
Brutally imposed order.
It’s funny
How
The way
You look
Determines
How
People
Treat you,
Even
When
You can’t
Change
It.
They’ve been friends
For the longest time
And are enjoying a fun
Day in nature,
Climbing around
On the rocks,
Laughing, joking,
Sharing stories,
The comfortable ease
Of familiarity.
She loses her balance
And falls, her landing
Reverberating disturbingly.
He comes to her aid.
Unable to touch her,
Or show her how much
He cares, he utters
Awkward words of dubious
Reassurance, “At least
You’re alive!”
This was to be the day.
