Was it always like this?

Was it always such that we would

descend into a world of unethical treatment

of others just because we disagreed with them,

with their choices,

at the ballot box, that we would somehow lose

perspective, our senses in fair play

and be reduced to snarling, gutter tipped

wrench that makes our national

newspapers the epitome of self delusion

and intelligence harm;

was it always such, was it always the way,

that we could just be vile and get satisfaction from

the keys hurriedly typed without forethought,

just to score points, to be the warrior

with no elegance or humility in victory…

was it always such.

 

Perhaps it was lost when we first declared

ourselves to be open and honest

with our friends, it gives them carte blanche

to hate what we do, what we say,

that instead of just keeping it

tucked away, hidden from view,

between me and my conscious

as my dear old dad used to say,

we shouted it to the world

and let the words drip from our gob,

we sparked sentences dripped

in oil then wondered why they were set alight…

was it always such, was it always the way.

 

Ian D. Hall 2016