… running away together
running away for ever
human kind …

Daft wee humans scurry back and forth
while Compassion bides its time,
waiting for the Blame in man
to stumble or to pause.

Still centers of peace,
brief pauses for healing -
buffeted by phones ringing, trilling, bleating:
communication aped….

Learning is slow
impeded by state, by media, by head in sand;
ignorance preferred -
responsibility tiresome.

‘I know’ say the many
‘Let’s distract ourselves with blame,
busy ourselves with hate;
those fleeing pain, fear, emptiness
they are The Enemy.
Of course, tis obvious,
they are The Enemy.’

‘Good’ say the powerfew
tweaking more strings
setting more traps
hatching more plans
living faster, bigger …
hungry.

‘Catch up, catch up’
say the many
in a tight throng
surging onwards
going nowhere
better than before.

‘Catch on, catch on’
say the few
with their ropes secured to halt them
from the dragging human tide.

‘Stop, look, listen’
shout the few
with their ropes secured to reason,
to hope fueling strength.

‘Yeah, fine, whatever’
murmur the many
aiming for instant dismissal
of those disturbing nuisance words.

Yet Compassion bides its time,
waiting for the Blame in man
to stumble or to pause.

By Alfie, May 07

Inspired by Patrick Cave’s fiction book Blown Away, which has oodles more hope, more beauty, and more imagination than this poem.