As I persist, let’s Come Together, all peoples,

from what is around us…

for this is what I read, hear, see

in the news, and on social media…

I hear… “Isolate,

keep to yourself, your kind,

don’t share your canceled thoughts, don’t help one another,

you will be ignored,

You created this problem,

Your kind is the sum of all the worlds’ atrocities, and greed,

Your kind are born into the lowest class, caste, gender, as slaves,

Your kind legally immigrated here, but don’t care for our land, our ways,

So let the Narrative block out and hide your good,

your strengths,

your ability to connect to one another,

just isolate yourself, or keep to your kind.“

I hear… “You were born entitled, enslaved, as outsiders,

even while wearing your second hand scratchy polyester, malformed sneakers,

saying the Pledge to Allegiance, in Holey jeans, jackets and shirts,

living in your small moldy suburban house, apartment,

with no garage, cracked driveway, parking lot, rusty swing sets,

sharing a room with your brother,

grandmother moves in for care”

I hear… “It is not your time…

hey boys, hey girls,

these commercials. sitcoms, news articles and movies reflect your core…

silly, not connected, incompetent, underperforming, clumsy, unromantic,

Tweedle Dee and tweedle dumb incarnate,

Let the Narrative seep into your Ethos,

let’s start with your schools’ reading lists,

surgically augment and remove the unchosen Words, Concepts,

Socially dissolve the past, for the Need,

let’s kill-off your movies’ hero’s, your fav characters in books..

For the Creation of Democracy is not in your ancestor’s legacy,

let the Narrative rewrite the history, to remove, reboot, and refresh”

I hear… “Let these Words in the Narrative be out of context, from different times,

Statistically hidden Truths, Focus the negative here, yet, Focus positive everywhere else,

Let the contexts be echoed, with acceptance,

over all social media channels

until they become, derogatory, and

Truthful…“

I hear… “For there are no Echo bubbles of praise for you, here today,

So sit in your isolated corner, facing silently in,

let the social conversation coldly walk around you, staring disdainfully square,

the Broadway plays, pop music, TV, Movies, positive news..

and do not interrupt,

for there is no room in it for you,

if you socialize and talk,

the Narrative will cancel you. Let’s Persist, for The Narrative, “is toxic, is orchestrated, focused on us,

by one, by many?, leaderless?

accidentally at first?,

passive aggressively?”

It’s a Shepards Crook,

A self-replicating single RNA strand containing seven genes of Words,

Divisional to the extremes,

compromisingly bounded

by anarchy and tyranny,

with dwindling middle folk in-between.

A repeatable playbook, validated, and institutionalized,

by the Choosers of Media, Choosers of leaders, Leaders of Institutions,

Schools, TV Sitcoms, Magazines, News, Sports, Songs, Reading Lists…

An orchestrated global Echo Bubble Net rising our way,

to contain us,

before the Social Feast…

A social programming, so carefully curated by our own sentiment,

crafted narratives,

a Tweet, a DM, a Post, a ChatGPT convo…

manipulating choices…

crippling our thoughts,

imprisoning our minds.

So, persist, as I do, find meaning, and love,

The Narratives’ conjured Mob’s mean thrusting cutting ethos,

will eventually grind down from our connected warm voices,

to the soft sands of humanities acceptance, and empathy,

And, persist, find steadfast acceptance,

let the negativity pass through and around…

bend,

like we are

Leaves of Grass, in a field, battered by strong unaccepting narcissistic winds…

and listen…

and be mindful of your numbers, your statistics, for a later time,

for These winds are false proclamations and predictions,

ignoring your existence, your positive impact,

these are simple toxic tactics,

Then, persist, be connected to those around you,

deeply understand the needs, of all peoples!,

don’t accept the digital word Narrative,

that Divides,

without checks and balances,

Create your Personal Trust,

dissuade the Opiate of Digital Trust,

Let’s persist,

take small meaningful, and compromising steps

for change, together,

the best we can do, carpe diem, now,

when we move, and change, for All.

Just, Persist.

then Thrive!

(C) Owen McCusker 2024