Weary World

I almost didn’t publish this for fear that it may appear too dark. However, in retrospect, I have decided to do so. Please know, it is not quite as bleak as it seems but rather an observation in prose on a weary world. I am just so tired of all the “bad news” that surrounds us from all directions and it got me down a little today. What we “know” to be the truth in anything, may be gone tomorrow and how we endure it, depends on who we are. As Socrates said, “Know Thyself”. This poem is the result of that thought process.

Weary World

Childhood puppy frolics in a memory of fog,
Canine friend transformed to the rabid dog.
Foaming from the mouth while running rampant,
Gnarling teeth toward a hand held with portent.

You thought you knew him, he thought he knew you.
Did you really know him? Do you know You?

Frequent beatings from an abusive father,
Cowering in dark corner, the timid mother.
Swinging each fist with words of love,
Only hatred beneath the hand in the glove.

You thought you knew them, they thought they knew you.
Did you really know them? Do you know You?

Battlefields covered with blood and death of wars,
Tortured souls sleep under smoke and shooting stars.
Documents of peace available for purchase,
While the next conflict bubbles under the surface.

You thought you knew them, they thought they knew you.
Did you really know them? Do you know You?

Friends and colleagues with patting of shoulders,
Caught unaware your head held underwater.
Drowning in a sea of facades, betrayal and deceit,
Trust, honor and faith crumbling at your feet.

You thought you knew them, they thought they knew you.
Did you really know them? Do you know You?

Words and platitudes from husbands, wives and lovers,
A smokescreen of love for you above all others.
One day awakened finding yourself all alone,
The lies and those who spoke them suddenly gone.

You thought you knew them, they thought they knew you.
Did you really know them? Do you know You?

Worship of Gods and deities allow this to happen,
Creations of dead ancestors now long forgotten.
Where are they now when needed the most?
Prayers unheard, falling on ears of spirits and ghosts.

You thought you knew them, they thought they knew you.
Did you really know them? Do you know You?

Undeterred by a weary world that still stands,
Wandering the streets in search of a master plan.
Perhaps tomorrow we will all know what to do.
Before finding the unknowable, you must first know You.

TAH