Poem by Dan Stone
It says a lot,
what we dismiss,
what we write off,
the similarities
we think we see,
what we assume,
the biases we clutch
like pearls to help us judge
our likenesses to God
or Source or Love,
to rationalize our piety,
buff our preferences.
We take comfort
in the forms we recognize,
in uniforms and promises
and prayers on a string.
We cluck or shake our heads
at individualities, divergences,
the differences that loom,
the ones we wish
would just leave us alone
or fall in line,
the challenges,
the contradictions
every minute being born
that we’d just as soon
see crucified and in a tomb
like trouble
that refuses to behave,
like good news that we
just don’t get.
We sigh—a lot--
and wonder why
things can’t just
go our way,
why they won’t
be nice, be quiet.
Meanwhile change
thrashes throbs thrives
rebels, revolts,
shaking our foundations
rattling windows
crashing walls--
and norms--
and waking lives,
quaking across nations
loosening nuts and bolts
like a ruthless
but efficient storm,
like a well planned,
long awaited and, yes,
much needed riot.
It says a lot,
what we dismiss,
what we write off,
the similarities
we think we see,
what we assume,
the biases we clutch
like pearls to help us judge
our likenesses to God
or Source or Love,
to rationalize our piety,
buff our preferences.
We take comfort
in the forms we recognize,
in uniforms and promises
and prayers on a string.
We cluck or shake our heads
at individualities, divergences,
the differences that loom,
the ones we wish
would just leave us alone
or fall in line,
the challenges,
the contradictions
every minute being born
that we’d just as soon
see crucified and in a tomb
like trouble
that refuses to behave,
like good news that we
just don’t get.
We sigh—a lot--
and wonder why
things can’t just
go our way,
why they won’t
be nice, be quiet.
Meanwhile change
thrashes throbs thrives
rebels, revolts,
shaking our foundations
rattling windows
crashing walls--
and norms--
and waking lives,
quaking across nations
loosening nuts and bolts
like a ruthless
but efficient storm,
like a well planned,
long awaited and, yes,
much needed riot.