Bold Complacency Of Power

Bold Complacency Of Power
© Surazeus
2024 02 08

If not the subtle rattle of their guns, 
nor sneering mockery of sincere jokes, 
what wail of mourning in heavenly choirs, 
or shrill dementia of reverent hymns 
could wake from bold complacency of power 
wealthy men who drink wine in their glass towers? 

Alone with cattle on dark western plains, 
drinking sorrow in bars by endless roads, 
they stare at clouds that bleed on fractured screens, 
and grip their guns with the terror of thieves 
at impending invasion of wild hordes 
who swarm across bleak waste land of their faith. 

Without their anger to sustain their faith, 
or bitter resentment at what they lose 
to hordes of hungry thieves in fields of crops, 
what sign of their superiority 
could they cling to with ideology 
that proves their right to land their fathers stole? 

Still haunted by false memories of pride 
in noble greatness of their honest clan 
that glows as illusions through simple tales 
about how they once conquered evil goons, 
they gather in stadiums of sweaty fear 
to cheer their savior of forgotten times. 

What anthem for doomed youth who die in wars 
that praises deeds of valor in far lands 
when they fought for manifest destiny, 
could children of their sisters sing for them 
as they wander drunk in maze of locked doors 
to find the church where they were feted as heroes? 

Enslaved in clanking factories of wealth 
where they assemble machines of desire, 
they boast about their freedom to assemble 
and liberty to insult all they hate, 
delighted to be exploited for labor 
as they cheer victory of their sports team. 

What fetid weeds of patriotic pride 
bloom in rancid gardens of their rage 
when they call for the strong man with the gun 
to save their livelihood from immigrants 
though he would crush them with his fist of greed 
while scamming them of everything they own? 

Lone warriors for rites of democracy 
where people choose the ruler they would trust 
search for lost badge of courage in cold rain 
that flows as tears from children who escape 
shadow of death that haunts dark city streets 
at fall of the empire to greed and fear.