Perpetual Emotions: A Sociological Observation

“Okie from muskogee”
“I ain’t marching anymore”
“America, love it or leave it”
“Better red than dead”

Over half a century ago
Those who were cool
Were saying
“Do your own thing”
But if your thing
Differed from their thing
Your thing was wrong

When someone differs from you
You differ from them
This social exchange
Occurs over
And over
And over again

Today
Empathy is in short supply
Inflated egos and
Misinformed ideas
Create catalysts for
Uncontrolled emotions

Self-centered ideologies
And associated righteous proclamations
Fill the air

Social dynamics
Social stagnation
Simultaneously occurring
Ad infinitum

Do your own thing
Your thing cannot be
If it differs from what others
Think it should be

Paul Cech has been writing poetry since 1970. Several of his poems have been published as Saturday Poems in the Pittsburgh- Post Gazette and the Thomas Merton Center of Pittsburgh has published several of his poems in NewPeople. Read other articles by Paul.