Poem: Last of a Dying Breed

Last of a Dying Breed

By J.D. Kellner

Shall no one attend the funeral of the death of change?

Septic shock to our social system brought us to our knees

To some an absent God and to others a people run wild

Will you not come and sew our burial shroud?

Anarchy slipped sorrow laden boots upon civility.

Stoicism shrugged from the shoulders of men, a benefit to all

Replaced with a feathered promise of peace and equality

Cut down by resent and broken arrows

Has the world changed hands for the better?

A youthful urging to want and love our world.

Years of toil from our forefathers

A heavy yoke upon our backs.

Are we the last of a dying breed?

Toxic words, toxic actions, toxic idleness

As with all actions cannot be undone, but forgiveness is toxic

Would you dare associate with one of us?

I carry the shovel of the knight’s true purpose

To dig the grave of idealism’s past

When once we walked side to side, meaning astride meaning

Step over step no man left ahead of the pack

Past dictated who saw the light and who endured the darkness

Patriarchal, matriarchal are constructs embraced by only those who allow it

Thrust away by a thirst for optimism

Chopped asunder by the corporate caste

Shall we not eat at the same table?

Are we the last of a dying breed?

Kingdom here or Kingdom come?

We want it all for all, but none for some

Our keepers are chained to the floor for crimes of resumption

To walk free and clear of our former burdens

Choke and swallow the hazing of social norms

Breath easy once, but never twice

Take your burdens and live with them!

The social ladder with broken rungs is a trap set for you

Can we not want without fear?

They say to reach for the stars if you want to see the sun

Beware the plummet back to earth for the ground is not forgiving

Will the hands be there to catch before the crash?

We are the last of a dying breed