Don’t tell me the world is beautiful
when death and despair
hold court
abroad

Don’t tell me how lucky we are
in our comfy homes
when death and despair
strangle the outraged among us

Tell me the truth
that we are immensely fortunate
that death and despair
are a surprise
a shock
to some
but daily drivers for others

the world dies
but we cry
when the cell service is weak

how weak
how pathetic
how could we be as blind as we are
so humanely ignorant
and still be alive?

beautiful breathing madness
one breath shy of nothing
this is who we really are