These good, brave, new things
are better--
We are told of this in smug enough
voices while we are done favors,
while we are tricked into surrender
and made to swallow garbage from
the plate.
These good, brave, new things
are better--
For are we not better now that
all simple things have been broken,
and each one of us must be
laboriously taught to use our
labor-saving devices as this
slow and mysterious miracle
matures into a nightmare before
our eyes?
And we have improved so much,
efficiency up, waste down,
choice forsaken, humanity
forgone to extend that twilight
into night and that day into
evening.
These good, brave, new things
are better--
For it was said, and things said
must have some truth, if enough
lips mouth the words, if enough
minds are convinced, if believing
without evidence is called faith
rather than madness.
4 comments:
These thoughts should be memorized, Firehawk --- especially that last stanza. At once probing, thoughtful, and insightful.
This really highlights the shallowness of our species. I'm so glad I'm not a sheep.
Firehawk, I think we have lost more than a bit of 'humanity' over the past few decades. I liked the way this piece challenged the status quo... questioned the daily pursuit of more, faster, better...
Things I've been pondering of late myself.
Like Ken said though, despite its 'angry' tone... it was surprizingly uplifting.
Doc,
I figured that one like this would cater to your mind set--you old maverick.
Ken,
Thanks. I see so many "changes for the better" that only result in confusion and pain, sowing the seeds of impersonal behaviour and taking away any sense of community that may have once existed. As to the "matures" choice--I did that on purpose, for I think that these aftereffects are, at heart, part of the actual plan, though they take some time to show. In the back of a lot of these "progressive" issues, we have people who have a lot of hostility to the people they're supposedly helping. They secretly want to see them suffer. That's my take on it, anyway.
Mushter,
Sometimes there's so much wrong with humanity that it's hard to know where to start. I guess the best place is always with yourself, making sure that you're part of the solution, rather than part of the problem.
Bill,
The things we sacrifice on the alter of progress can be awfully difficult to come to terms with. There are a lot of disillusioned and lost people out there, wondering where the world they knew went.
I'm glad all of you found the positive side to this poem, because there is one.
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