Civilized Tragedy
in the land of tragedy
a drama composed through
the mists of civilized time
an insidious sorrow
spirals
forced into us
taught into us
through the guise of authority
and civilized righteousness
we
are so conditioned
that we come to believe
in our parts
playing out our roles
as actors and actresses
forgetting
who we are
we play out
dramatized beliefs
playing out
a myriad of personalities
living in the game
of hide and seek
running from pain
fighting against fear
caught in the undertow
of ignorance
dividing the world
into have and have not
this is the civilized way
a system implanted into our minds
a system that feeds on trauma
feeds on drama
feeds on oppression
and lies to us
tells us this is the only way
the best way
and we need to always
grow
grow more food
grow the population
grow the economy
grow spiritually
grow and consume
consume other people
other cultures
consume the world
in order to live
for it teaches us that there is no other way
as it blinds us from our history
of genocide
of destroying cultures
that actually lived with nature
lived with egalitarian power structures
this is the illusionary drama
it makes us buy into
it teaches us that we are flawed
that we can do better
that there is a natural hierarchy
and that we need to compete to better ourselves
that we are isolated islands
in a dog-eat-dog world
and so the lie becomes our truth
as the traumas and conditionings of
our childhood
educated day in
day out
over and over again
through authority
through reward and punishment
through pushing down
our innate wonder, love, trust, and curiosity
that who we are
isn’t okay
and that we need to play out the roles
that is given to us
and so
we become stuck in Plato’s tomb
living lives in subtle despair
lurking underneath
a veneer of safety
in this civilized land of tragedy
some arise and speak out
say awaken
wake up
there is a different way
that we can live together
that we don’t need to be at war
that all of us
no matter age, sex, color, size,
are all brothers and sisters
interconnected in
this beautiful ecological sphere of life
yet we look away
using words for escape and belief
rather than pointers to within
and many times
our governments
kill the messenger
for fear of the truth
they proclaim
the drama
builds onward
as ignorance
becomes a furrow
that few rise against
the drama continues
as wars are continuously waged
hierarchy strengthened
competition reigns
and suffering is normalized
They don’t see that
their ideal — growth
is, in actuality, a cancer
destroying the very fabric
of their ecological home
without questioning
following the distractions
of work, entertainment, addiction
people follow the ignorance
of their own conditioning
never stopping to see
that their “reality”
is nothing more than a dream
and society lies within themselves
