A warning…
I ask: when the truth’s not truth and we all lie,
What are we then but insects in a web?
The crawler came and smote with poison sly,
Despite our cries and curses we lay dead
Turned paranoid by watching our own backs
Our lack of prudent questions left us blind
There was no warning for the beast’s attack
In short order it defeated human kind
It was no terrorist no psychopath
That caused humanity’s untimely end
‘Twas fear that caused the chilling aftermath
No longer could we find a needed friend
So if you value good – feel it’s a must
Be brave, go foster honesty and trust.
This poem sits as a lonely prologue to The Cut, without explanation or context, with subtle attribution to AVK. Like many creative writers the author was humble about that attribution – may even have been happier if it had been omitted… but for me this writing spotlights a nagging and desperate hole in our world – it fits the book and must be acknowledged. It is written very beautifully and it made me think. It caused me to react, helped me to find strength.
The poem suggests that fear may be humanity’s undoing, and that we all need to find the bravery and honesty to address the many issues that confront us. That way, we can aspire to do what is right, and to rebuild integrity and trust.
I think AVK should be rightly proud of this poem, written more than a decade ago.
marcuskennedy.net 