THE MIND'S EYE

In my mind’s innermost eye,

Mirror of my expectant soul,

People perform in harmony,

Strong and brave and whole.

No hunger, thirst, or pain,

Unbothered and at ease,

Acknowledged and accepted,

Unencumbered and carefree.

No offense given or taken,

Motives unquestioned, believed,

Obliging and uplifting,

Blessings offered and received.

But my grand and majestic illusion,

Stretches the bounds of imagination,

A heavenly flight of fancy,

A wonderland of fascination.

For we are all flawed and blemished,

Shattered, damaged human beings,

No simple pathways or solutions,

Far away hangs the bright brass ring.

Our pasts leave us doubtful and leery,

Untrusting, uncertain, insecure,

Wary of taking risks and chances,

With our hearts so timid and unsure.

We hold in the hurt and hide the wounds,

Tuck away the fury, fear, and pain,

Protect our frail psyches from all that abounds,

From the imagined scorn and disdain.

Hesitant to present our pleading hands,

Till we know they’ll be held, be taken,

Cannot open our hearts, offer them up,

Without promise they’ll not be forsaken.

A reflection of the times, I often suppose,

No time to be humble or gentle,

Claw our way to the top, a view from on high,

Cannot afford to be warm or sentimental.

The slight, the delicate, and the broken,

Living in the tangible concrete world,

Overlooked, underrated, dispensable,

Cry out – but struggle to be heard.

The hopeless, woeful, and down-hearted,

Are scorned and mocked and dismissed,

Left to fend for themselves, no protectors,

No mercy or pity, no kind assist.

“Pull yourselves up by your bootstraps,”

Speak the cold, harsh distant stares,

Cannot be bothered with the small or the lesser,

Look away, not our problem.  Who cares?

The fractured and infirm who stumble,

Those who struggle and ultimately fail,

These are judged as “unproductive,”

Though they give their all, fight tooth and nail.

Blind to their hardships and pain,

And deaf to their heartaches and pleas,

The real world grinds, churns onward,

Forgets, leaves behind those in need.

They are mere burdens and misfits,

For these, no empathy or compassion,

Our values lie warped and twisted,

Our morals found sadly lacking.

My tear-streaked and strained inner eye,

Longs for better than this unfortunate fate,

Envisions a future far brighter,

If we will only turn and mend our ways.

Must commit to the dream and the vision,

Bring truth to the great deception,

Must seek glorious grace and gentleness,

Lay the footing, in my feeble perception.

Must adore and care for each other,

Offer the full benefit of doubt,

Though people are less than perfect,

They mustn’t be discarded or left out.

The vain iniquity might be pretending

Others are insignificant, unimportant;

We must now endeavor instead,

To live fully dedicated, wholly devoted.

No trick of the mind, no delusion,

Intertwined and dependent on each other,

For comfort, for succor, for aid,

For joy and bliss yet undiscovered.

The fantasy unfolds and is realized,

In a world all of our own making,

Be it bitter or sweet, harsh or soft,

We shape the journey we are undertaking.

All of us are in this together,

Indeed, no one gets out alive;

Set our sights on something far better,

For we all must flourish and thrive.

Choose to believe in a bright future,

Recognize there can be a better path,

The road can be paved with tenderness,

Be forgiving and free from wrath.

We must learn to care for one another,

Strengthen bonds and loosen chains,

We must truly strive to join together,

For our efforts to usher in change.

The cold and cruel material world,

And the fantastical illusion,

Must one day unite, must coincide,

This is our one best resolution.