There’s not much
Left to say or do
When people succumb
To a raw lust for power
Over any semblance of
Decency except to
Stand up and oppose
Such reprehensible behavior,
Making sure it doesn’t
Become the new normal and
That generations to come
See there were people who
Cared about humanity.
A wretched parallel universe
Where bad is good,
Cruelty is celebrated,
Intolerance encouraged,
Subjugation relished,
Reason denigrated,
Facts irrelevant…
Humankind’s worst instincts
Belching forth from
Gaping craters of fear and
Hatred, scalding decency,
Promising more suffering
Until persons of courage
Stand up and shout:
Not here, not now, not ever.
Though circumstances may seem
Unbearable,
Remember that
There is a multitude of us
Here for you.
There is so much
Good in the world
Sustained by countless people
Who believe in love
And hope.
We care for you and each other,
We breathe together,
You’re never alone.
Rugged individualism
Corrodes the bonds of society,
Which only thrives when
People work together
To build a greater whole,
Realizing that nothing
Happens without help
From others, that one’s
Life is richer because
Everyone agrees to
Participate sincerely.
She tries to scream
But all that comes
Out is a whimper.
Her whole life
Has been about
Trying to get along.
She reaches
Deep inside and
Finds her voice.
A beautiful sound
Emerges, making
People uncomfortable.
She tries to have an earnest
Conversation with a relative
About why war is necessary
When there are so many other
Peaceful options available.
She shares her perspective that,
Along with the desire to
Destroy one another,
Humans possess an equal or greater
Capacity for altruism and love.
Appealing to his sense of decency,
Which she’s seen many times,
She plaintively beseeches him to
Clarify why he thinks problems
Need to be solved with violence.
No answers are forthcoming,
She finds out these things aren’t
About logic or fact,
Just a reflection of the
Torment in people’s hearts.
The clash between those
Who see the world solely
As an object to defile and
Pillage for personal gain
And people who understand
That we’re all on this
Fragile planet together and
That we flourish when we
Take care of one another.
Huddled together
Hoping the next one
Doesn’t hit them,
Knowing that it will
Slaughter someone.
Always at the mercy of
Cold-blooded rulers
Who couldn’t care less
About what happens
To people like them.
A group of people decide
That it’s important to
Care for one another, that
Outrageous imbalances in wealth
Only lead to suffering,
That their society thrives
When every person does well,
That the most vulnerable
Among them deserve to
Experience lives of dignity,
That peace is real,
The common good the norm.
