Every action directed at
Undermining vital institutions,
Weakening structures
That support the vulnerable,
Propelling a heartless agenda
Condemning the disadvantaged to
Perpetual suffering,
Feigning a smile while
Dismantling democracy,
The aristocracy ruthlessly
Asserts itself, yet again.
Desperately trying to
Get away from them.
They don’t contemplate
Or comprehend anything
Beyond their immediate needs.
It was always this way,
One person’s wounds
Engulfing another,
Obscuring humanity,
Forced journey to the
Bottom of the well.
So traumatized by them;
He identifies with
His tormentors and inflicts
Upon others the same
Horrors he endured.
A bitter cycle of hurt
Unnecessarily perpetuated,
Ignoring myriad alternatives,
Familiarity over healing.
Even when she
Followed all the rules,
Jumped through all the hoops,
Adhered to all the social norms,
Reached the pinnacle
Of her profession,
Became an exemplary
Member of the community,
Did all the right things,
She was still judged
By the color of her skin.
With preternaturally
Acute perception,
They discern vulnerability
And descend wantonly
Upon the distress,
Promising solace,
Delivering misery,
Sucking the life out of
Everything they touch.
Satiated, they move on
To the next victim.
Every event was
The same: Stand there
And get talked at
For far too long,
Until his eyes glazed over,
All the while wishing
The purveyor of this
Deluge of unrequested,
Vapid, remarkably
Uninteresting information
Would notice his
Increasing agony.
Left to his own devices,
Which really just means
That he can do whatever
He wants, and that leads
To nothing that anyone
Else is happy with,
An out-of-control asteroid
Careening toward anything
In its path, unable to
Get out of the way.
We are much better than
Allowing children to starve,
Condemning people to die from
Lack of affordable health care,
Cheering on a frontier-town
Code of conduct,
Relishing a total lack of empathy
For fellow citizens,
Delivering every break to
People who don’t need them,
Withholding opportunity from
Others deemed unworthy,
Shunning the vulnerable,
Tolerating hatred and bigotry,
Building a society that exalts
Cruelty as it staggers backward.
The upstanding,
Morally superior,
Leader of his community
Ends a wonderful meal
By informing the waiter,
On the check, that he
Won’t be leaving a tip
Because he doesn’t
Agree with his lifestyle,
Although the service
Was impeccable.
