One Hopes
One hopes people
Understand the
Difference between
Using one’s voice
To protect the vulnerable
And screeching to
Keep someone down.
Fragile Ties
Once she was gone,
Everyone’s personality
Came into high relief,
Often with unpleasant
Ramifications.
No one could return
To how things used to be,
Struggling to function
In new roles they were
Ill-suited for.
Fraying at the edges
Leading to complete
Disintegration,
Personal needs severing
Fragile ties.
Do Instead
Joy snatched from him
At an early age.
All he can think about
Is retribution.
He’ll do the same to them
That was done to him.
Lack of insight, creativity,
Ability to grow.
Perpetuating suffering
Without remorse.
So many other things
He could do instead.
Not Unreasonable
It’s really not
Unreasonable to envision,
And build, a world
Where everyone has a
Real chance to succeed
And community matters more
Than allowing some misanthrope
In a lavish castle to
Hoard most of the wealth.
It’s not out of the question
To behave like the empathic
Beings we are and make sure
No damaged person can
Take advantage of others.
Fairness is an achievable
Goal but for the few
Who don’t believe in it
And make sure, at any cost,
That it doesn’t materialize.
On Hold
On hold for a long time,
Hoping for relief,
Getting none,
Wondering what’s next
When there are no options
And time is of the essence.
Leave a message,
Hope for a call back,
Repeat the process.
Just Lucky
People at the top
Who don’t care about
Anyone or anything else
Other than amassing
More and more stuff,
Piling it in heaps and
Admiring their
Hoarding prowess,
Backing politicians
Who vow to help them
Keep it all,
Share none of it,
Keep flattering themselves
And blathering on about
How they’re somehow
Better than others
And not just lucky.
Infinite Ability
People who believe
War is unavoidable
Inevitably cause
Ongoing strife
Even thought it’s
Been demonstrated
Innumerable times
That human beings have
An infinite ability
To behave with
Kindness and compassion.
Once Safe
A place that
Was once safe is
No longer.
Sometimes things
Change in
Unfortunate ways.
Some people
Grow,
Others don’t.
Obstruction
You can’t
Have peace
As long as
One or more
Parties don’t
Believe in it,
Or have something
To gain from
Its obstruction.