Rage, rage against those who
Don’t threaten you in the least
Except for in fabricated tales
Of conspiracy and apocalypse.
Woe the ills of the world while
Championing those who guarantee
Their perpetuation. Pray for better
Days without committing to them.
Rouse all who will listen.
All is not well. Change is
Desperately needed, as long
As it’s someone else.
An old man at the edge of a cliff
Looking over a majestic canyon,
A roiling slash of river running far below.
So many years past, opportunities missed,
Pleas ignored, withered heart.
A small hand in his reminding him of
Inescapable matters. A quick look down, a
Reassuring smile masks somber memories.
He closes his eyes and feels the breeze
On his body, the sun on his face, the
Vastness of the landscape, a speck of
Insignificance perched on the precipice.
Life perdures uninterrupted but for
Those denied solace by fear and gall.
Stunningly unaware,
He tramples over
Everything, everyone,
In his path,
Leaving behind a
Trail of devastation,
Suffering.
Not unusual,
Doesn’t like himself,
Incapable of empathizing with
Anyone else’s plight.
Deeply diseased,
Unable to feel for anyone,
Including himself.
Predictable,
Struggling to feel safe,
The monsters visit constantly,
Recurring, unresolved pain.
Turn inner fear and rage
Into outward contempt,
Cruelty.
Fuse rage and insecurity and
Project it on those who would
Make your life better. Deny reason
At all costs and incinerate fact.
Smoldering emotional rubble pile,
Blaming those who would help
You heal, show you mercy,
Invite you to love.
It’s easy to become
One of them,
Just function based on
Your hurts,
Extinguish your heart,
Close your mind,
Develop an immunity to truth,
Begin speaking and never stop,
No matter what anyone says,
Or how much it damages others,
Remain true to your
Ideals of exclusion and cruelty,
Make the world a worse place.
Give just once to
Appease conscience.
A small token of uncaring,
Doled out annually with
Magnanimous gesture.
Return home satisfied.
Problems and injustices
Solved with one pair of jeans or
A single meal.
To follow our dreams and live
Lives of boundless joy and fulfillment.
To freely celebrate ourselves and others,
Delightfully compassionate.
That’s not practical, say those who
Follow the rules, listen to others,
Do as told, muffle their muses, freely
Limit horizons.
What if there were more than
One way to look at things?
What if you could have different
Points of view all adding their own
Unique essence to the mix, making
Things tastier rather than bland?
No thanks! Why would I ever want
To live more piquantly when I have
All I need, safely circumscribed?
Countless years of
Doing the same thing
Distilled into this single
Moment where courage and
Valor might rise and transform
The course of history
To benefit all rather than some.
Pause and reflect on the
Import of the situation, the
Immense weight of gravity.
Proceed with absolute
Confidence and do
The small thing.
