Off-Kilter

Only when I enter the city
am I really aware
of just how many of us there are.

We’re everywhere!

Too many of us?
As the planet groans beneath our weight
you could say so.

But no,
not enough of us
that we can be cast off
and disposed of
like excrement.
No.

No, we are not such a multitude
that we can fall fall
fall
and not be missed.

We are not so numerous
that our lives can be lost
without tears being shed.
We grieve. We grieve.

We grieve.

Though some amongst us
do believe our fallen lives are cheap.
They praise our destruction.
They celebrate our losses.
They glory in our desolation.
They say their prayers and do not weep.