<center> Feeling the apathy
that comfort can bring
smile a drunken smile 
while the canary screams


<center> The doomsday machine,
is being tightly wound, 
but we’re too distracted 
to hear its clicking sound 

<center> The crank’s turned steadily
until their blisters burn,
the springs are wound taunt
almost to the point of no return

<center> “It couldn’t be as 
bad as they say!”
“There’s no way something 
like this couldn’t happen today!”

<center> Excuses echoed by
countless generations
while the forces of evil
dismantled their nations

<center> Indecision bides them 
all they need, time
each step they take,
their confidence climbs

<center> Suppression of truth
silences survivor’s warnings
of Auschwitz, Omarska,
and Rwandan mourning

<center> Hate-filled propaganda 
clogs social media feeds,
divisive spins splashed
across television screens

<center> The heartbeat of why
in recycled reflections 
of wounded souls, 
met with too few objections

<center> The more we struggle 
the deeper we sink
the more we learn,
the less we think

<center> Such inherent flaws in us
must cause the awakened to sigh,
and ponder the age-old riddle 
of one question...*Why?*

<center> ![](http://i.giphy.com/RI42LtoMA5mxi.gif)

<center> *Gif sourced from Giphy.com </center>

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## About The Poem ##

These are disconcerting and disorienting times. Never in my life have I felt so strongly that the world stage is being set for the horrors of the past to repeat themselves. It’s possible that this is a false feeling, a sort of skewed reality that snuck upon me through the fogged and crotchety lens of middle age, I hope so.

My wife and I live near the State Capital building in St. Paul, Minnesota and last weekend my confidence that people are paying attention was renewed by the enormous amount of people who attended the Women’s March. 

Still, family members are arguing, lifelong friends are de-friending one another on social media. I never thought I’d feel nostalgic for the days when people posted pictures of their food on Facebook but I do.  

The divisiveness I see in America (and in the world) today chills me to the bone. The lack of a middle road should serve to everyone as a warning that we must very quickly change our course. I can’t help but wonder if we as common people could do more, if we should do more. They say the pen is mightier than the sword so that makes writers supremely powerful in turbulent times such as these. 

If you experience something that causes the warning bells in your head to go off, if you witness injustice...pay attention...take action...speak out!  These chilling feelings, these warning bells are your soul speaking to you and our world would be such a better place if people listened to its beautiful voice. 

Good night all. May we all, somehow, find our way back to middle of the road. 

### <center> Your Upvotes, Comments, and Resteems are always appreciated! </center> ###

---

 
 
*I am an American novelist, poet, traveler, and Blockchain enthusiast.  If you’ve enjoyed my poetry, autographed copies of my handmade poetry chapbooks, [Emancipation](https://www.peerhub.com/items/7405-emancipation---handmade-poetry-chapbook), and [The Greatest of Secrets](https://www.peerhub.com/items/7434-the-greatest-of-secrets---handmade-poetry-chapbook) are for sale on Peerhub for a limited time. 
 
 
<center> ![](https://s4.postimg.org/bow0rgm99/image.jpg) </center>
 
 
 
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