As I grow older and wiser,
The veil that shielded my eyes as a child dissipates,
And as the ignorance that creates bliss fades,
The true, complete reality of our world creeps into view,
Like a bad dream in a child’s mind.
The world shudders,
Letting out shaky breaths,
Broken, bitter, and hypersensitive,
As though the slightest movement
Will lead to extinction.
The politicians of this supposed republic
Bicker and argue with each other all day
Acting like children,
Only not nearly as innocent.
Hypocrites,
They build themselves up,
Only by accusing others of being
Radical, corrupt, and a danger.
These gladiators battle to keep money and voters
Held tightly in their iron fists.
They tear down honest reputations,
Conspire controversy,
And rewrite the truth with lies
And false promises that life can be better under their rule.
Politicians coerce the public into believing their lies
Like a puppeteer and his marionette,
Abusing their power over the public.
Meanwhile the nations of the world
Threaten nuclear warfare,
A catalyst for extinction of the human race,
The dawn of the next World War.
New wars are born every day,
Gifts from hell itself,
Fueled by greed.
These wars spread a river of blood that could wrap the world
Hundreds of times over,
For the purpose of protecting one way of life
At the cost of another’s.
These nations,
Cold and calculating,
Continue the trend of the paradoxical balance,
Between protection and elimination of different peoples and cultures,
Survival versus annihilation.
Yet other types of war continue,
As the traditions and culture of the past are cast aside,
Discarded,
Disgraced,
And lost to the pages of history.
They’re replaced with policies meant to protect individuality and freedom,
But lack enforcement and fail their purposes,
Inevitably forcing everyone to think fifteen times before they speak.
As the culture war continues,
Division and argumentation become a staple of this digital age,
Unraveling the carefully woven fabric of society,
Into nothing but a pile of threads.
Every day,
Less people speak to each other in real life,
Absorbed in their phone screens,
A fifth limb,
Ignoring the world and their problems.
The moral code of manners, chivalry and honesty
Long buried six feet under.
Now, people would rather spend their limited time on Earth,
Swiping at a piece of glass,
Than meeting someone new,
Or having a conversation with a friend.
Instead of making memories and working towards their goals,
They like posts, comments, and photos,
The glorified one percent of life that’s deemed worthy of posting,
An asymmetrical reflection of the true beauty of life.
Why go out and experience life,
If you can turn on your phone and watch someone else do it?
Is this the legacy that we want?
Is this the world we wish to leave behind for our children?
One where we’ve destroyed the bonds of friendship,
The appreciation for every second we have,
the environment and nature,
And instead replaced it with a world
Trapped with the constant fear of self-destruction
Hanging over our heads like the sword of Damoceles?
Do we really want to continue fighting,
Until there’s nothing left in the world to fight over?
This is your wake up call.
The last chance,
A final slap in the face to get you to wake up,
And realize what needs to be done.
The pages of history continue to turn,
And our world needs our care.
Stop procrastinating,
Like someone else will do it,
Or that you can’t make a difference.
Life gave you lemons,
take them out of the freezer.
Go out there and experience what the world has to offer,
And start helping to make it better.
Let the chapter of the twenty first century of civilization,
Be one not of blood,
But of renewed faith, freedom, and peace.
A world where we can sit beneath our own fig tree,
Like the scriptures and our forefathers said,
And know that our children will inherit
A world better than it was when we found it.
Isn’t that worth trying for?
