Everything I Thought I Knew

A Poem

Photo by Tyler Nix on Unsplash

you can close your eyes
to this sorry world
all you want,
but
there’s never going to be
the tipping point
of change
if we don’t do something
in
the here and now

you can hold onto your hope
as long as it helps
keep you afloat,
but
remember how other people
suffer the most
when the good ones
don’t do
anything
to help sway the tide

once, I believed in
empathy and kindness —
the surface of our beings —
but
now I just cry
in places no one can see
because I fear the worst
is yet to come,
only
one tomorrow away

once, I prayed each night
for safety, health,
and courage —
but
there’s so much more
added to the list
just from a peek
at…