No Plateau Even for the Thirsty
So I mentioned in the description of the last poem that it was half of a set of poems that I posted on the same day, this is the other half of that set. This was a venting poem about the state and problems of the world at the time I wrote and posted it originally. It’s kind of bleak, pretty angry, political and attempting to tackle at least several issues at once. Sometimes I look back at poems like these wondering if they were more emotional and focused on this than they needed to be or if I could have made them more focused and emotional with the gift of hindsight. This poem I think is somewhere in between cause it still feels relevant to the way things are but I don’t think I really pour more into it without it becoming overly bleak and losing any sense of message. Originally posted this March 2022
No Plateau Even for the Thirsty
By: A.X. Bueno
There seems to be a thirst in the world that shows little signs of ending
It's hard to say how many truly have it after all they're simultaneously loud but good at blending
The past several years have provided them much but it's only made them more greedy and bold
With all this conflict they feed either already or too convinced that this won't affect them growing old
They either have enough power to not care or just think they'll get lucky and be spared
So they spur on a horrific war they'll never feel or truly grasp the effects of and mock those scarred and scared
Or maybe they dismiss those rightfully afraid of disease and death acting like all will be well
Saying they're brave for acting reckless as those with health conditions are stuck inside
Meanwhile graveyards filled with too many sacrificed for productivity continue to swell
They claim to just want a return to normal neither recognizing change and refusing by the rules to abide
So with this disease and death we seem to be stuck while bombs fly and people fight a tyrant a whole ocean away
Either intentionally or not they try to strike blows at the power of the tyrant and hit the people instead
The people, some fighting for years before this latest conflict are now battling two fronts with no leeway
They're exhausted, terrified of ever present danger, broke from devastating sanctions and to be despised
For having a terrible leader they didn't chose
Told by many with nothing to lose to try harder against a situation impossible for any one person to just diffuse
But given how we treat people back here in the US at all of this I shouldn't really be surprised
We've done just as bad including throwing out refugees from different countries out like refuse
There's also the Nazis said to be there but those alone aren't a good reason for outside annexation and attack
Of Ukraine that is but those feel like excuses more than anything given how that record tracks
Besides it's hard to fight Nazis overseas when we've got plenty here too
Practically and proudly trying to take rights and imprison who they made their latest scapegoat
Trying to whip a scare and act like they're protecting the unborn and trans kids
They say to think of children while not caring or considering the lives saved by what they try to forbid
Then so many will try to pretend that these laws aren't so bad or just as many fear for potential lost lives
If this dreadful wave of bills of attack on the different or the marginalized goes through for all that it deprives
Many of us here have so much to fear and I've barely scaled the iceberg of all the dangers that may pass
It all creates an ocean of tears, fear and blood that those above us push us into as they berate our class
Below the bloody waters there are lampreys who'll latch onto anyone and suck them dry just to gain the favor of those on higher ground
Then there's those you choose to remain apathetic or push blame on everything but those drinking up our blood
In the end though there's just a whole lot of people doing everything to keep their heads up and not drown
And then there's those whose bloodthirst, will never be quenched by those they see as belonging in mud
On the borderline of drowning but not quite however that's not sustainable given all the world's crud
Too much going right now has lead to this and there's no plateau to the problematic waters that surround
But still people continue to fight for future generations, to actually protect the children that may never know proper solid ground
As the blood suckers act like we're terrible for wanting more, for wanting safety as if we're moochers
All we want is a plateau to all the bloodshed to be properly happy and free
But the rising tide from too many bled for the greedy has made a shrinking island in this blood sea
Still I continue to wonder if and hope that there's a bright, grounded future to someday be