The depths of their
Depravity is predictably
Revealed—they never really
Cared for anyone but themselves
And their own kind but always
Tried to put some kind of
Benevolent face on it.
They show their support for
A dictator in waiting,
Someone who makes their
Broken psyches throb with delight.
It all seemed to be
Going so well,
Friendly, enthusiastic interactions
Jarringly replaced by something
Very different,
Coming from a place
Not typically
Shown to strangers.
Government isn’t some
Scary monster out to
Eat you and your children,
It’s merely a reflection
Of its citizens’ priorities.
We can decide that
Altruism is important
In a civilized society,
Or that we are
Just snarling creatures
Fighting each other
For survival,
Guarding our dens.
As she’s being driven
To her friend’s house
For a pool party, she
Notices the homes where
The regular people live,
Home-made affairs of
Brick and mortar and
Metal doors opening
Onto streets teeming
With cars, people, and dust;
She wonders passingly
About how they
Can all live jammed into
Such cramped abodes.
Passing the shanties,
She has a fleeting sense
Of children growing up
Under corrugated tin roofs
With no running water.
She does what
She is told to,
Not what she
Thinks she should,
Ignoring the person
She really is:
A beautiful gift.
So it all comes out at once:
The things that were never said,
Feelings suppressed, ignored,
Stuffed down so deep down that
They emerge unrecognizable,
A gale of pain and anger,
Bewilderment, a pacing diatribe,
Trembling in place while
Continuing to move forward.
The reproaches came swiftly,
Hitting their mark as they
Always had, bruises invisible
On the outside.
You didn’t contact me,
I was so upset,
You wanted me to do everything,
I was put on the spot.
Eyes closed in resignation,
It would always be this way,
The dull insensitivity of
The unreconstructed.
Although she hadn’t expected it
To take up so much time,
It did, requiring her
To set aside things
Far more important.
She labored on,
Wondering how she might
Extricate herself from
This self-inflicted situation.
Sure, it takes effort
To be kind: You have to
Be able to transcend
Your own immediate needs,
Put yourself in
Someone else’s shoes,
Value another person
Who isn’t you,
Let yourself be vulnerable
To the possibility that
They may not reciprocate,
Consciously create
A world where
Compassion is the norm.
