Rough Cuts (Unpolished, unpublished poem ...

Rough Cuts (Unpolished, unpublished poems #622C)

Jun 20, 2022

This week, I'm getting political. For many years in my writing, I avoided politics, and every day in my personal life, I continue to avoid conversations on the topic. As I get older, however, and perhaps somewhat mature, I am finding it necessary to write political poems, not because I am right about anything, but because there is much being ignored which needs to be considered and even acted on. I am willing to upset some, many, or all, if only to provoke thought. I invite your feedback, asking only that you are respectful.

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Photo: Yuyeung Lau

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In the beginning, was fear,

the original monster,

so innate, so immeasurable and enduring,

it threatened to crush us

at any moment,

every moment.

It was all we knew,

all there was,

all there was to fear,

and all we could do

was create

our own monster,

so big and so powerful,

it could conquer even fear.

So we did.

And it did.

And it became the new monster,

the source of a new fear

so absolute,

it would crush us

not once,

but eternally.

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So now, in denial and in exile,

all we can do

is create

another monster,

so big and so powerful,

it will conquer even our ancient and obsolete monster,

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and will only crush us

once.

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Copyright 2022 by M. E. Forbes.

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Photo: Adam Wilson

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We had nothing to do with it.

It was going when we got here,

already out of control,

and we weren't the first on the scene.

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Our parents were already here,

and everyone we knew,

talking about the horror before us.

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We knew someone had done something about it,

were doing something about it.

We were terrified, but confident

the adults would stop it

and that one day, we would tell stories

about the great tragedy.

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We did not know, could not conceive,

simply had not the tools to believe

all the adults were doing

was what we saw them doing:

talking,

watching the world burn.

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Copyright 2022 by M. E. Forbes.

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