The world thrives on madness, I guess.
At least that's how it looks of late
As things spin out of control, and that's
Occurring at an alarming rate:

Mask mandates will save human lives,
Yet people resist with crazy notions;
Climate change deniers dismiss
The future threat of rising oceans;

Insurrectionists are seen
As “patriots” in the eyes of some;
Armageddon junkies keep
Messaging “Thy kingdom come”;

Far-right autocracies
And autocrats are on the rise;
People suspicious of reason and truth
Close their minds and lap up lies;

We’re seeing more grasping for power
And greater pursuits to suppress the vote;
Securing equal rights for all
Is becoming more remote;

People shun democracy
And favor personality cults;
Baseless attempts keep cropping up
To undermine election results;

Some people choose to rewrite history
And toss out facts they want to forget;
Xenophobia is rising
And immigrants are seen as a threat;

An ALL-about-ME-world seems to be
The world we’re living in at present;
Being nasty appears to be more
Admirable than being pleasant;

Insecure people yell "Cancel culture!"
When others attempt to expose the truth;
Racists keep using their biases,
Aversion, and hatred to poison our youth.

I once had faith in humanity
And tended to be more idealistic,
But with all this craziness,
It’s harder than hell to be optimistic.

-by Bob B (8-20-21)