Show Me

Show me

The couple

With no kids

Who need a four-thousand-square-foot

Vacation home

With two pools

And beach access

Then I can look at my own home and feel bad

Show me

The yachts

The parties

Of the rich and snooty

Dining on specific kinds of cheese

I couldn't find

Unless I went to France

Then I can chew, tearful, on my vegan hot dog in a wheat bun

Show me

The drive of the spendthrifts

Who fork over thousands for trips

And wedding dresses

And man caves

And luxury seats

To watch a game, a play, a show

That I see for pennies on my television

Then I can wish I had the money to burn, to waste

No, wait!

Better yet,

Show me

People who care about something

Enough to work hard

To fix it

To feed those in need

To sacrifice their time

Their hard-earned money

And their whole lives

To help the world

Just a minute

I forgot

People like that don't make it on TV, do they?

Not About You

Believe it or not

It might seem like the sun rose

Just so you could wake up

This morning

And get married

Or go on vacation

Or complain about the heat

But it rose to feed the trees

To feed the algae

To feed the countless lives

Stage by stage on the chain of life

And your waking was only one

Microscopic speck

Of the overall plan.

You might think traffic moves

Just so you can get to work

Or that old woman with coupons

Is in line just to irritate you

Or nothing's on TV

So that you can get the laundry done

Or cookies call to you

Or people wait to serve you.

Get over it

Get over yourself

You want it to be about you?

Do something with your life

To feed the world

To help people find work

Pay for groceries

Have clothing of their own

Eat.

Forget about being served.

Serve.

The World is

The world is

Too heavy

For me.

Poverty stretches through countries

Under bridges

In foreclosures

Cardboard signs begging for help

Distended stomachs

Flies eating the living

As they slowly become the dead.

The world is

Too sick

For me.

Diseases can be treated

But when minds flock to twisted ideas

When what is most hateful and evil

Sounds so good to foolish ears

And threatens to destroy all I love

All I believe in

I feel helpless to intervene.

The world is

Beyond me.

I can only keep my own world alive

Safe

Fed

Happy

Serene

While I send out my letters

To a world gone wrong

And try to connect

To the other safe havens

Huddled up

Frightened

Waiting

For the world to end.