Philosophy

Poetry | We Are Conflicted Beings

Vernon Kerr

May 16, 2017 — 1 min read

We Are Conflicted Beings

Viewed from afar, our Earth must appear

As an anthill run amok.

Swarming but disorganized,

Moving in a vague direction but with scattered knots

And lumps of deadly struggle raging,

Sparked by some inferred self-interest,

As the dis-interested hive-general flows around them.

Viewed from afar, our race must appear

As scattered, vast flocks of sheep without a shepherd,

Most bleating submissively,

But with the loudest, largest, most horn-endowed bleater

Leading the way—while the least of all bleaters

Or the out-of-sync bleaters—or those who refuse to bleat,

Are pushed to the edge,

So that Justice, with her quiver of elements and predators,

Can work her blind, emotionless magic

And return the flock to conformity.

But unlike sheep, each in these flocks harbors secret demons

Who whisper treasonous thoughts of self-worth,

Ideas of individual purpose,

Agonizing temptations to veer off.

“But the eyes of the flock are on me.

Without their support I am lost. I’d better bleat.”

So most bleat in sync, and follow the flow

Whether it leads to greener pastures,

Or a lemming’s leap.

A Needed Introduction to "Poetry | Farewell to Earth"

In contrast to what he Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (1914—1953) wrote: “Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” I wanted to offer you dear people a more positve and up-to-date

Poetry | Farewell to Earth

Fellow condemned: Can we let down our petty competitive veils for a moment And admit what we have had in common? Yes, we've all had moments of joy that kept us enduring The grief, The failures, The disease, The loss of our senses — of smell, of sight, of

Thanksgiving | Waves of Gratitude

On the day after Thanksgiving I sat in front of our gas log in the dark of early morning, as the valley outside filled with fog and my neighbors' rooftops took on the expected white coating of frost, and I felt grateful for the warmth and for being able

A Fair-Fight

I love how President Biden acknowledged the results of the 2024 US Election and I love his promise to allow a peaceful transition from his Administration to that of President-elect Trump. Much like the "ideal" Christian does, President Biden is "walking the walk" not just "

We Are Conflicted Beings

Read more

A Needed Introduction to "Poetry | Farewell to Earth"

Poetry | Farewell to Earth

Thanksgiving | Waves of Gratitude

A Fair-Fight