CYNISCISM

Why should I take stands against injustice?

I fast, I protest, I boycott merchants,

And governments still opress citizens,

Sweatshops still produce most of the world’s clothes,

Hunger deprives mothers of their children,

The dogs of war continuously howl.

 

What dent have all the protests ever made

Against racism, against classism,

Against sexism, consumerism,

Human rights abuses, greed, homelessness?

If you can show me racism’s tombstone

Then I will believe that a difference

can be made. I will join the protest.

 

Show me why I should have one conviction!

Show me one conviction that improved life!

I’ll take you to a church and demonstrate

The sad truth of where all convictions end.

All convictions have the same conclusion:

Nailed and bloody upon a wooden cross.

 

Rather than holding on to convictions

Or engaging in vain protestations,

I would rather use my time finding a

Resurrection that does not require death.

Reviews

[THERISA]

You ask, if i can show the tombstone of homelessness. Unfortunately, i can't, but i can show where it has made a difference in a person's life. Making a difference starts by working locally in your community. I know, i was homeless, last june and had to use a shelter for a month. You have mixed up Christianity with fighting for a better society. That's only my opinion and you're free to disagree with it. Part of the benefit of living a democracy. Sometimes, changes must be paid in blood and we should never forget this point. Pardon me, as i get off of my moral high horse here.

Your poem flows and draws in the reader into your argument, which you strongly defend. Look forward to reading more of your work in the future.

Therisa