Such banality, superficiality, cruelty,
Such shallowness, nastiness, greediness —
the new, but old, normal?
Greek and Roman gods fought
over just such things striving for
dignity, nobility, humility.
Native peoples creation myths
put us in touch with earth, sky
and the connection between
all things that walk, run, swim and fly.
Adam and Eve left Eden for a long,
slow day to die.
Cain slaying his brother Abel
speeded up the dying
and we have been killing each other
ever since long before
the Hebrews’ creation myth
described us to the core.
Is it any different now in this
dangerous culture of
such banality, superficiality, cruelty,
such shallowness, nastiness, greediness?
Is this but again the new, but old, normal?
Where in this bleak house
is dignity, nobility, humility,
justice, mercy, peace, self-sacrificial love
to be found?
If as it has been purported and proclaimed,
we are with God and God is with us
as Jesus, the Buddha, Lao Tzu aimed,
then in deep prayer we must remain
and in non-violent protest we must proclaim
creation rights and human rights for
glorious, wonderful universal life to be attained
and, by the grace of God, exclaiming
faith, hope and love
and watching, once again, for the descent of the dove.