The difficulty involved
In letting go of anger,
Something that has
Supposedly served him
For so many years but has,
In actuality,
Only steered him away
From what really matters,
A lesson learned after
Too many years of failure.
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.
He feels left behind,
Like he doesn’t
Matter anymore.
Things used to be
So different,
Opportunity abounded.
He and his buddies
Could always count on
A job at the plant.
Then the companies went away,
Leaving behind
Confusion and anger.
He wants to turn it all
Upside down,
Tear everything apart.
He entrusts
The wrong people
To do it.
They’ve lost everything
And been told it’s the fault of
People who are not like them.
They revolt in anger,
Lashing out at a perceived
Enemy that doesn’t exist,
Ignoring the malefactors
In their midst, trying
To hurt someone back for
What they’ve endured,
Supporting opportunists
Promising to alleviate
Their chronic pain,
Misinterpreting who really
Did this to them.
A miserable horde
Of maudlin, unhappy beings,
So far away from their
Cores that they have
No idea what else to do
But lash out at others
For living as they can’t.
It can’t just be easy,
I guess,
Everything appears to have
The distinct tendency to
Become annoyingly complicated
Instead of pleasantly simple,
Developing into ever more
Complex convolutions of
Contortions engendering
Unnecessary grief and
Consternation rather than
Peace and calm,
A straightforward task
No longer,
Realization elusive.
Misdirected rage,
Flawed grave reasoning,
Flailing against imaginary
Monsters under beds.
A shift in perspective,
Assumptions upturned,
Unfamiliar changes underway,
Movement misunderstood.
An urge to maintain order,
Preserve pervasive power,
Vehemently opposing kindness,
Collective advancement.
She doesn’t pause for
Even a moment
Before she launches
The attack,
Anger buzzing inside her,
Thoughts clouded by
An overwhelming need
To fight.
The object of her onslaught
Recoils nonplussed,
Disconcerted by the
Abrupt ferocity,
Unaware of why it’s
Happening at all,
Given that this is
The first time they’ve met.
He tells me to wait
Fifteen minutes and
Everything will be
Taken care of,
I thank him for his help,
Feeling some relief.
When I follow up,
I find out he did nothing.
