What do we expect?

War, race riots, road rage, aggression

child abuse, eating disorders, depression,

obesity, children murdering children, suicide,

names of perpetrators by after school news glorified

Children poisoned by additives, fast food, toxic emissions,

drugs, unproved vaccines, poor nutrition

The brain bent by video games, where you get points to kill,

Hyperactive, pregnant, anxious? Just take a pill

Parental discipline prohibited leaves feelings of defiance

becoming subject to substance abuse and its reliance

Fake news, lack of trust, internet bullying, movie violence,

leads to a loss of empathy and poor compliance

Cell phone and internet addicted, with no social connections,

now susceptible to online predators, and gang affiliations

Children of single parents, overcrowding, and poverty,

left with no supervision, they become what we call latch key

So if you wonder why they go to school to kill

Don't worry, pharmaceutical companies say everything can be fixed by a pill

Just shift the blame to guns while another flag for a coffin is unfurled

Treat the symptoms not the disease Oh what a beautiful world

Reviews

[John the Baptist]

OK, Soren, now tell us the downside.

[Soren]

The down side John is that it would cost too much to fix and the will is not there. Thanks for the review and good question.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Points to kill, points to kill...and we rode our bikes when we were kids...

technology has brought us to a point...the point of bullying, of lack of face to face contact...
the coffin is open and waiting for the young ones to occupy.
This is such a powerful piece...about our "beautiful World"---
j.

[Soren]

Thank you Jacob I appreciate the review and comment. Yes this beautiful world just costs too much to fix.

[carl]

appreciate the truth and passion of your piece. Mentioned this in a review of another poet, "sounds like your describing an an organism with a death wish." Puts me in mind of Jackson Brown - Doctor My Eyes. Also ironic at the end of your poem is an advertisement for Walther - performance duty pistol. Personally of have a rather simplistic analysis - its all about money, somebody said loving it was the root of all evil, I have a tendency to agree. Thanks for your thorough examination of the destructive variables in our society, just hope it's not an autopsy. -carl

[Soren]

Thank you so much Carl for the review and in depth comments that showed so much insight.

[Ladysue]

I especially like your last line. We seem to be concerned only with band-aid fixes and we seem fixated on the blame game. The appetite for absolute power one way or the other is going to be our downfall. Society is broken. The world is out of control. Humanity is suffering and your poem portrays this in full view. Excellent write.

[Soren]

Thank you so much for your review and most insightful and kind remarks to this rant of mine.

[Chris Shaw]

What a depressing time we live in. Pleased that my early years weren’t marred by this catalogue of negativity. It seems to have got worse over the last twenty years or so. The internet hasn’t helped and neither has the lack of discipline. Add to that the greed of capitalism gone wrong and you’ve got a cauldron of trouble on the boil. A very topical write Soren.

Chris

[Soren]

Thank you Chris for the review and insightful words. I remember my grandfather stating that things were going down hill in his time so it seems each generation feels this.

[Chris Shaw]

I really think my grandkids have missed out. I talk to them about life before the internet, before real greed set in and the softly softly approach that prevails our living these days. They probably think I am a boring old fart. No doubt they will do the same when they are my age :))

[willweb]

I think you pretty much covered it all which is the sad situation because it takes a poet to speak reason, the others speak greed and denial. The world has been a mess for a long time and it will only get worse if this power pyramid isn't dismantled. As long as it is allowed to stand, the rest of us will fall.

[Soren]

Thank you Will I always appreciate your reviews and comments. The sad fact is it takes too much money and effort to fix so it is easier to distract and blame.

[DIVYA]

This is so true Soren. There's everything wrong with this world and we know that. We also know where we blunder and err but we choose to remain in denial. No one will bell the cat. Its each for oneself.

Superbly written.

[Soren]

Thank you so much Divya for the review and most welcome remarks. Yes I'm afraid that it costs too much to fix.

[DIVYA]

I'm increasingly afraid that people have lost the will to make it better.

You're most welcome.