Everywhere I Turn

by Joseph L. Campanello
(Mansfield, MA, USA)

Everywhere I Turn

Everywhere I turn, there is talk of doom,
Or equally fervent claims that the
Recovery is in full swing, that
Happy days are here again…
Are there any grown-ups left in the room?

Everything I read seems to radiate hate,
Or looks intensely for someone to blame,
To excoriate for our predicament,
Couched of course in intellectual jargon,
Sounding rather like a one-man debate.

Every voice I hear sounds self-righteously shrill,
Warning of the dangers of Russians,
Mexicans, Socialists, Capitalists, and those
Shadowy figures of the Deep State;
Is there such a thing as a paranoia pill?

Everyone I see on the internet or t.v.
Appears to have a deep-seated grievance,
Convinced of their unassailable truth,
As well as their status as true victims
Of the sinister forces we cannot see…

Every day I become increasingly certain
That these well-intentioned, earnest folks
Have travelled as far as human intellect
Can take them; their pathetic lack of faith
Prevents them from seeing behind the curtain…

I’m not saying we should be passive,
Or turn a blind eye to the problems,
Only that a Higher Power rules the world,
That we can access Infinite Intelligence
To guide our work on these troubles so massive…

Every minute you can rest assured
That this world will not end one second
Before Almighty God wills it to be so,
Nor will He ever abandon His faithful
To the various, ravenous wolves at our door.

So, children, instead of wringing your hands,
Clasp them fervently in prayer, and try
To love your neighbors as yourself:
Then, and only then, will you start to heal
Yourselves, each other, and our battered land.

© 2019 Joseph L. Campanello