The world is the way
It is because certain
People endow themselves
With the power to decide
How everything is structured,
And they predictably
Stack the deck to make sure
Only a chosen few at the top
Are well taken care of
While everyone else has to
Fight for the scraps while
Extolling the virtues of
Those who hold the strings.
The only thing
That satisfies them is
Power for its own sake.
No thoughts of
Helping anyone or
Building a better world.
Absolute selfishness,
Regard only for
Their own cravings.
The thoughts and
Actions of
The shattered.
An old man sits
On a bench reading
His usual newspaper,
The one that still
Somewhat reports on
Reality. He’s seen
All of this before,
The hubris, zealotry,
Heartlessness. It
Didn’t end well then,
He hopes it doesn’t
Go that far this time.
They take care
Of their own,
And only their own.
They’ll do anything
To protect
Their power.
Destroy people, a nation,
No problem,
Pain personified.
So hard to be nice,
At least it
Seems that way to them,
Perhaps because
No one was there
To demonstrate,
Maybe because
They refuse to heal.
So, might as well
Bring everyone
Down with them.
It doesn’t take much
To usher in the tyrant,
Just some people who
Don’t see him coming
Because of something
Inside them and who
Invite him to grab the
Whole country in his
Greedy arms, breathing
Heavily with the lust for
Power, importance.
It’ll be his personal
Plaything, one he’ll enjoy
But quickly become bored with
And cast away like all
The other things that
Didn’t bring him joy.
What a difference
Between the person who
Feels the suffering
Of another human being
And the one who can’t,
Or won’t.
What dissimilar
Paths they travel and
Worlds create,
One caring,
The other harsh, cruel.
Violent, rigid parenting
Forming people who see
The world as a harsh,
Adversarial nightmare where
Countless imaginary enemies
Must be forced into submission.
An unquenchable yearning for safety;
Single-minded conquest,
Remorseless cruelty.
It’s always the same story,
The damaged imposing their
Will on the vulnerable,
But it doesn’t have to
Be this way.
When the people
At the top
Don’t listen to
Those at the bottom,
Terrible upheavals
Can, and do, occur.
As history has shown,
Someone will always
Be ready to fill the void,
Offering strength,
Safety, order,
A return to something.
