The Hard Way
The beginning of knowledge is based on this:
The childlike innocence, the blissful ignorance,
The naive trust, the youthful mirth,
The curiosity and fear we receive from birth.
As we grow older, reality becomes quite clear,
Feeling the loss of those we hold dear;
Learning of morals, virtue and sin,
We learn life is a game, but nobody wins.
These are the problems that we face,
Downfall to chaos, always the case;
The inevitable conclusion of the human race--
Fall to dust with no lasting trace.
Friendly intentions bring only resistance,
Unintentional advantage denies its existance;
The more effort exerted, the less improvement made,
Handicapped throughout life with no real aid.
The slightest difference is miles apart,
We struggle to finish so we can restart;
Hoping forever but the pressure 'ere mounts,
We begin to wonder if the thought really counts.
Unending problems each day we face,
Unable to keep up with life's cruel pace;
Infinite potential ends up as waste--
All progress made eventually erased.
Weapons give us a false sense of security,
Wealth makes up for a lack of maturity;
Technology to make us think we've progressed,
If we can't read the questions, we get rid of the test.
Flowers will bloom and life will renew,
We live for illusions, hoping they're true;
Wounds will heal but scars remain,
Forever trying--little lost but less gained.
The real problem that we face
Is mankind's constant fall from grace;
Utopia's the dream we eternally chase,
Mankind is not evil, he is just misplaced.
--T. DeMatio (1987)