When there's not a lot to feel good about...

How do you process living in a world where what happens to you is ultimately in the hands of a few emotionally bankrupt megalomaniac and narcissistic dictators? The ‘leaders’ who are supposed to be there for the people they ‘serve’ — but who don’t give a rat’s arse about them? The hypocrites who vow revenge on others for doing exactly what they’re doing themselves?

How can you condone, countenance, unpick, deconstruct, understand all that? ‘Not in my name’ doesn’t even cover it.

And when you’re powerless to act? When your voice is unheard, your protest impotent? And how much worse must it be for all those who can’t get food or aid, or who night after night are scared of being killed in their beds?

Under such circumstances, we pretend. That’s what we do.

We retreat into our small lives while we still can, and maybe string words together kidding ourselves that they will make a difference; another poem on Ukraine / Gaza / Israel / America / Iran / freedom / The Constitution / war / love / peace…

Really?

Or we dress up for Royal Ascot, go to the cinema, fly off on holiday, buy a new car… Or maybe we post things like this on platforms like Substack — and to what end?

And all the while the climate’s off to hell in a handcart, and it’s a toss up what will get us first: missiles or Nature’s revenge.

Be careful what you wish for / vote for / turn a blind eye to…though it may already be too late.

[Not ‘upbeat’, I know. Let’s just say that today has not been a good day…]