On Judgement and the Rapid Decline – A poem.

I will write this down for posterity—
to the long distant generations that have yet to be born,
that have yet to feel the overwhelming despair
and hatred of existing.
We live in a dichotomy—
a polarization of suffering and spite
that belongs to us all.

No one is innocent. No one can claim
to be better, to be worse—
We are all the cesspool of humanity.
Is it so different to despise one another
simply because one of us is the other?

Political affiliations and ideologies
have obliterated and impersonated personality.
We are defined by our vote—
by the color next to the party and by the words
of those that don’t actually speak for us.
But they speak through us.
And through speaking they control us.

I don’t hate you for the color of your skin
unless you hate me for the color of my sin.
And we leave and breathe and are defined
by our hatred for each other.

I will judge you until you open your mouth,
and I will judge you after you open your mouth—
until your tongue twists in the manner I prefer.

You will treat me in kind—
with the same daggers, half unsheathed,
ready to riposte my own.

You are other.
And I am other.
And together we are so convinced
that our own words don’t poison just the same.

JKolasch

2 Replies to “On Judgement and the Rapid Decline – A poem.”

  1. Whew, Babe, that is one bleak poem. Good images,a lot of truth, but I still think we have more humanity and kindness than this surface seething with rage allows for. Too many words, not enough kindness. But there is still humanity, and kindness exists somewhere between the islands we find ourselves on. Even though I am alone, there is still kindness and most of all, hope.

    Like

    1. Overall, I agree that there is more kindness. But as a snapshot of the state of the world, it’s certainly hard to find it right now. There is so much anger, people can tend to forget that right or wrong, left or right, that hatred is hatred.

      Like

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