Not Quite Civilized

© Anne-Marie Brzezinski (2009)

Look more closely
And you will see
A not quite civilized society.

The scars we hold show our will to live.
We don’t let go so we don’t forgive.
We build our names then we toss out bricks
Race, religion, even politics.
We tear apart those with different views
Then bury them deep within the news.

Reach in closer
So you can feel
The pain inflicted by our own ideals.

We can’t just give to the ones who lack;
No favor goes without wanting back.
We want to own everything we can;
Possessions help to define the man.
We move too fast just to have it all.
Our selfish dreams cause another’s fall.

Drink it all in
And you will taste
The bitterness and fear of those abased.

We don’t respect, we choose not to see
The unborn, infirmed, and elderly. 
Healthy people who don’t pull their weight
Are given free rides by the ruling state.
The sick disabled whom they did not save
Has “was too costly” written on his grave.

Listen closely
And hear the sound
Of silenced teardrops falling on the ground.

Can’t you feel it?
We’ve got to heal it
Our not quite civilized society

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