Wednesday, February 6, 2019

LESS THAN ZERO

How much is less than zero?
That's the tolerance quotient
For injustice.
You must agree.
But our little minds
Can produce big rationales
To justify anything:

"All's fair in love and war."
"Every cloud has a silver lining."
"Children must be seen, not heard."

Truisms can disguise truth
To veil pain, 
Camouflage suffering,
Validate inhumanity.
This makes my little mind wonder,
Is there such a thing
As an innocent bystander?




(For Poets United, where Susan asks us to write about zero tolerance.)





11 comments:

  1. I think not! I see ow these cliches encapsulate a cultural apathy. Good.

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  2. Ouch.
    And add 'sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me' to those very, very false truisms.

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  3. I think that yes, there actually are innocent bystanders. It is hard to believe that but yes, there are. Unfortunately, fewer and fewer as time goes by.

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  4. Well said........how very long it takes humankind to evolve. Sigh.

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  5. Most cliches are not true.People are totally absorbed in their own lives and do not look beyond it.

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  6. Disinterested but not unbiased I expect for they are those that turn the other cheek, or look away and pretend it is not happening.

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  7. As an innocent bystander? Good question I know some but mostly not unfortunately. I feel we do have some responsibility and must at least live a life of becoming our best self At least that's what I believe. Well written

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  8. "Is there such a thing / As an innocent bystander?" -- My mind wonders too.

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  9. We are none of us innocent. I like what you have written!

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  10. We definitely ought to have responsibility towards those of lesser fortune. But these days, these things mean nothing for a section. How tragic!
    Well written.

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  11. This is a very thought-provoking poem, Myrna. Truisms may be false.

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