I read the paper,

shook my head.

Another several people

Dead.

And a father doesn’t know

if he said

“I love you,” to his daughter.

I called my dad, his reply a gruff

“Well, these times sure are rough.”

I watched the news today

and cried.

It seems chaos

intensified.

Another corrupt

leader lied,

truth and warning

cast aside.

Growing political

divide,

rising rates

of suicide,

and for some

citizenship denied.

But media hysteria

desensitize still countrywide.

“We’ve hit hard times,” said the

reporter in brief.

An understatement, it seems, of the

grief.

I turned up the radio,

and tightened my grip

on the steering wheel

so my hands wouldn’t slip

while I heard another

sad news clip.

There doesn’t seem to be much change

that doesn’t rip

my heart in two, but maybe

with good leadership

the times could turn.

It seems the time is now I thought

that for better times we fought.