The Elder
The little one came and asked the elder
How did things come to be?
The elder answered in abstract
A truth for all to see
It didn't happen all at once, but over many years
It happened with joy, laughter, and many silent tears
Like death from a thousand cuts, we just didn't want it to be real
Now all we have left, is just a bad deal
Its not that we didn't know, about the moments of despair
Its not that we didn't care, about the sordid affair
We just saw problems bigger than the sky and thought, who would dare?
And thus became a world that wasn't fair
We thought if its not us, maybe its not so bad
We can just enjoy our entertainment, and be plenty glad
And that's how it began, at least our part anyway
Even after so much has happened, we still have so little to say
The little one sat and asked the elder
Why did we do these things?
The elder answered in abstract
A sample of our selfish dreams
We did it because it felt good
Better than being good to ourselves
Better than loving thy neighbor
Better than the highest health
We called lies little, when they are quite big
Marking the beginning of our disgrace
We treated our future like it was a blooper
Without ever willing to embrace
We covered up truth with makeup and masks
Now we are the ones defaced
Our religion became follows and likes
And so we lost our faith
The little one stood and asked the elder
What can we do now?
The elder answered in abstract
With a head heavily bowed
The one thing that is our purpose
We no longer do
Because we look up atop our ivory towers
And only see a zoo
We believe that one can affect change
As long as its not us
So the answer to your question
Is to once again practice love
Have the conversations that create community
Not just for our favorite friends
Overcome our bias and impunity
And false prophets will come to end
The little one turned and asked the elder
Will you tell them I left?
The Elder answered in abstract
As a smile touched his breath
I will tell the story of the one
Who decided to be changed
And became the foundation
For this story to be reframed
When they come and ask
Where did the future go?
I will tell them the past only hopes
For the future to grow
That if we seek the future
We must put in the work
That we can move forward
Only when we acknowledge the hurt
Copyright © Tahj Jones | Year Posted 2025
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