After All -- A Poem Story

"It's sort of like swimming in my own waste.

I'm only human and I make mistakes.

So if it's not my fault, then it must be yours. After all, I live in a world of bad examples.

Personal respondsiblity, who's heard of it?

After all, this is the world we live in, ever changing, so we must change with it.

If we've never been taught, it must be our parents' fault, after all they didn't want to conform us.

Then it must be my personal respondsiblity to teach myself,

but, hey, who's going to fall for that?

when, how they've been living has been working fine for them.

Discipline, honor, psht! Who needs it?"



And so I nod, noncomittaly, as the young girl in front of me continues to rant with enthusiastic

expressions, her hands waving emphatically in the air. Her bright blue eyes dance wildy about the

room. I'm not sure she ecknowledges my presence at all.


"No one has control over you! Only you have control over your own destiny!"


She continues as if she were delivering the true light unto me; she was going to enlighten me,

enlighten the world.


The funny thing is, these people don't believe in definite truth. Only what you want to believe,

only that is true! As if you could stare at a red apple long enough, and turn it green. Of course,

there's always ignorance; you can believe that apple is green, regardless of whether it is or not.


I nod once again and peer over my black rimmed glasses. My hands have fallen limp at my side, I

no longer need to keep taking notes. I've heard those same words over and over again in my

office.


"After all, only you can save yourself, only you!"


Yeah, only me. Only me. Those words echo throughout my brain. You must be your own god;

don't let anyone take control over you. Save yourself! Only you! You...only you...


Except no mortal can save you now, my darling.



The Disease keeps spreading...