Towards the end stage of my long life I am astounded by events of recent years and find it difficult to recognise the society I grew up in.
CLICK ON THE ARROW BUTTON ABOVE TO HEAR THIS POEM
When did we abandon constructive criticism and evaluation?
When did truth become an unnecessary burden?
By division we thwarted nations, to build a cruel empire,
now in isolation we are splitting into material tribes.
The policy is the same, but on a much smaller scale
those that have shall hold, those without shall stay there.
Buffonery shall be our ikon, expertise not needed
a glib tongue more reassuring than an awkward fact.
This is finally the time of confident mediocracy —
able to look without blinking at the lens, and lie.
My post-war generation still have fear of shortage
although we stuffed our long lives with ease and excess.
We fear for what we own, plundered from the environment,
seeking reassurance from leaders, who will validate our greed.
Those brief tribal mottos are so easy to bray, we can scream
we are unique, all is well, that we are right and still within.
