Born in the gloaming
first decade of the Cold War
I puzzle over peers
same vintage as I
declaring superiority for era
we know only from history
family, books, movies
1950’s forever!
Disdaining new insight
for tried and…true? Truth?
The manufactured idyllic spin
post-war, tenuous-peace
The Bomb and all it’s
societal accoutrements
rationalizing or not realizing
now isn’t then, vice versa
I see the fallout from
seeking this shelter
There is comfort to be had
in familiarity
there is comfort to be found
in family heirloom quilt
warmth, nostalgia
safety of cocoon solace
providing feigned comfort from
the winds of now
Hiding behind faith tradition
good enough façade for then but
of little use, here-and-now
no matter who was left behind
no matter who was never close enough
to be close behind
mid last-century
practicums, ways, ideals and ideas
obscure in more enlightened times
we need to let go of in times of
openness, opportunity. Hope.
Try to rectify the sins of the past
for those of our future
Those who find faith in then have
a placebo for now
their fear showing in lack of faith
their professed faith shows
fearful – underestimating G-d with
no confidence in themselves
ironically relying on a mystical then
none of us really knew
My generation sports a sadly
hollow spiritual politic via
We-the-father-knows-best hubris
My indignant peers!
Less about faith in higher power
more about fear in lesser beings
ourselves
self-loathing or just scared
of…?
antiquated, angry spasms of control
control the advancement
control the situation
control the ways of..
control when
your imagined faith-based status
at risk of loss reverting to then
solving all problems
all ills what ails
everyone but us
ironic in its regression to
idyllic then that
never existed, but in modern myth
Quo Vadis,
status quo?
– Mark L. Lucker
© 2019
http://lrd.to/sxh9jntSbd
Ponderable polemics, poetic 