Arise!

A poem about what to do next.

I do not feel, I think you’ll see,

we’ll manage this complexity

and navigate this sea of lies

unless we all arise. Arise!

Such disrepute and callousness

has led us to this awful mess.

This struggle is our only prize

I hope you realize. Arise!

Consuming what they want from us,

for they have always willed it thus,

the draining always magnifies.

It’s right before our eyes. Arise!

They think your think — you give your thought.

They fight your fight — you give your fought.

Though giving never satisfies

such fruitless exercise. Arise!

Consuming us through machination,

corrupt abuse, and exploitation

the system then transmogriphies

our hopes — which it denies. Arise!

Thoughts connect through consciousness.

That pervasive and delightful mess.

It joins and grows and amplifies.

‘til it’s blanketing the skies. Arise!

We tell ourselves it can’t be true.

I buy me and you buy you.

That purchase never satisfies

and often horrifies. Arise!

Your attention will be bought and sold

in prayer to gods both new and old.

You know they can materialize

what your mind deifies. Arise!

Worship transfers energy

through faith (though not complacency)

and purchasing it sanctifies

attempts to rationalize. Arise!

Ten thousand years and then some more

We labour toward this settled score.

‘Til finally we centralize

the way they patronize. Arise!

All the systems that they use

are powered by the things we choose.

Compelling us to ostracize,

malign, and dramatize. Arise!

We are us and them are they

though that can change on any day.

Important now to maximize

belief that unifies. Arise!

Stand up now and look around.

Touch some grass and feel the ground.

The air itself personifies

a call to mobilize. Arise!

Save yourself and save them too.

Save us all and that saves you.

A simple way to summarize

the need to synchronize. Arise!

That doesn’t mean that you’ll succeed.

We never get all that we need.

But heed the call or jeopardize

your chance to harmonize. Arise!

If you think things are going fine

and we aren’t running out of time

then your belief exemplifies

the call it justifies. Arise!

Thank you for reading. I’ve made each of these stanzas into an NFT. All proceeds I make through the sale of these NFTs, including resales, will be given to Greta Thunberg because I believe she’ll probably always be working on some of the most important stuff.

You can view the NFT collection on OpenSea here:

https://opensea.io/collection/arise-poem?search[sortAscending]=true&search[sortBy]=CREATED_DATE

This is the next poem in the series. It’s about how to do what to do next:

https://ericlortie.medium.com/seize-the-means-of-service-646bdf443e52