There's a sadness
that flows through the veins
of people who survive empire.
For some, the sadness transforms
into a base fear of the unknown,
cowardice validated by con-artists
in the open air and by charlatans
who profit deep in the shadows.
The sadness in others can transform
into rage fueled by the thirst
for courage, truth, a moral balance.
Sadness that leads to action
to correct injustices,
that’s the only possible deliverance
from anguish and despair.