this is the way the world ends
not with a bang
or a whimper

but with kids who grow up taught to aspire to greatness
are expected to be fulfilled by
a house
a spouse
a couple of rugrats
a 9-5 existence
a war we didn't ask to fight
a national debt our great-grandchildren will be paying off
a government that didn't listen the first time
                                                        or second
                                                        or third?

this is the way the world ends
with the American Dream