A Changing Landscape

 

A foul smell, a stench permeates our nation

Society and communities have become fragmented

People close their doors and withdraw from the streets

They have become introspective and self seeking

No eye contact is made for fear of rebuke

Communal activities and gatherings belong to former times

The smell has caused people to insulate their homes

It attaches itself to the fabric of the home

The vile arrival of this bile is a new strain of repugnance

It eats away at who we are and how we think

 

Half a century ago we enjoyed the fragrance of nature

We picknicked in the fields and on river banks

Neighbourhoods stood together in solidarity

We danced the Maypole,and sang Christmas Carols

We stood together at the War Memorial in gratitude and remembrance

Excursions to the seaside were fun outings

Spent with family, friends and neighbours

Doors were seldom locked, windows thrown open

Fear was kept at bay by being together and strong

We spoke the same language

Children were taught to pray and read bedtime stories

 

Somwhere along the way we have been changed

Not transformed but made to alter who we are

We are now fearful to form friendships

Suspicious of others we meet or work with

We have quietly retreated into ourselves

Few communities share common values

Few are monochrome or identify with one another

The foul smell is as invisible as a chemical weapon

Only its consequences are evident by their social destructiveness

The landscape has been change irrevocably

We are on our guard, cynical and often pessimistic

We lack the will or means to combat the stench

 

Strident voices curse our way of life

We are denounced and demeaned for who we are

Ridiculed we shy away afraid to respond

Music, drama, literature and the media

Have been infiltrated by alien concepts

Our way of life that which made us has been trashed

Our homes are vulnerable as are we ourselves

Joy and happiness have given way to sarcasm and bitter criticism

This virulent contagion seeps into every crevice

It cannot be ignored or even escaped from

It clings to us to subvert our reality and identity

and the quality of our lives