The Human Condition Poem by Gary Diamond

Of all the things we've been given
Whether by God or by evolution (not sure which are we)
It's the ability of thinking, sensible reasoning
That I call
The best one.

I'd like to see it put to good use.
Every man should be a creator
Every man should stop being a low
Denominator.

I see it time and time and time again.
Those who would look down upon me
Those who put status and worldiness
Above which that matters
To me that is
Keeping your soul pure
Feeding it unbiased knowledge
Letting it live in the most fun
Most reasonable
Ways.

Why if we were given this gift that elevates
The gift to spread and absorb love and to create
Must we
Be
Spending
So many of our short, best years
Destroying
Burning Bridges.

If we can write words full of sinew
Woven together in colourful cross stitch
Self-referential and full of native truth
Why do we prefer instead
The shape of a gun
The explosion that tears limbs
Makes the planet unlivable
Burning gas and dead fossils
To finding a better way.

It is no surprise to me
That those who are outcast
Are the ones that can advance the species
In their time
Edison
Einstein
Asimov
Tchaikovsky
Are all misunderstood
Shot down.

The species advances so slowly
Because it cannot, as ego mass
Vindicate those of pure brilliance.
It chooses to stutter on
And sing the same song
Rather than learn a new one
And feel the soft breeze of creation and achievement
Tingle the skin
Like taking a scolding hot bath.