I hear you laughing not knowing
What's so funny but at least
You still have a sense of humor
Amused by something you are reading
We share our little jokes every day
A bit of respite from the deadly serious
Events unfolding here and everywhere
So much suffering is happening
The scientists report their findings
The climate crisis cascading in a feedback loop
The sixth mass extinction accelerating
The scourge of white male supremacy destroying lives
When this information comes in all its manifestations
Who doesn’t know the grim reality already
When are we going to hear about effective solutions
That will really turn this situation around
That’s not for the scientists to be able to determine
As long as they are captive to the corporate agendas
Working on intrinsic problems that can never be solved
As long we continue under the capitalist system
Some days I need to give up reading
The deluge of negative news
The drumbeat of proliferating problems
The progression from bad to worse
The daily diet of atrocities dismaying us
Images we are fed by the media to grab our eyeballs
Better to withhold attention than to be demoralized
Seeking out uplifting stories of lives lived in the struggle
People who do what they can to contribute
To making the world a better place
People whose actions inspire hope for the future
Organizing to advocate for basic human rights
The right to breathe clean air and drink clean water
The right to healthy food and universal medical care
The right to a safe workplace and affordable decent housing
The right to a good education and meaningful work
The right to live near nature preserves and parks
The right to to live without fear of the police
The right to decide choices over our own body
The right to love anyone we choose
