{"sf1_id":2149387,"sf2_id":"dmBwMWn6","title":"Simplify Yourself In These Ways","author":"Star Ringer","words":1297,"posted_at":"2024-06-28T07:54:59.000Z","tags":["Litany","Poetry","free verse"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2149387-simplify-yourself-in-these-ways","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/dmBwMWn6","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/2d/cd/2dcd6671-f2b5-4dd0-a9bb-4b27f1784265","description":"My slow metamorphosis into Walt Whitman continues unabated.","content":"Oh, friend  \n\\_ \\_ If you have never heeded me before  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ I beg you  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ Heed me now  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ Though I must break your heart  \nThis world is not built to be perceived  \n\\_ \\_ It is more complicated and simple than it needs be for your interaction  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ People will do the worst and best things imaginable for reasons you'll never comprehend  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ You want them to be discernible and measurable  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ Because they must be  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ Mustn't they?  \nPlease  \n\\_ \\_ Simplify yourself in these ways  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ Though you hate to believe you can be simplified in these ways  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ If a good excuse will allow you to do a bad thing  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ So too will a bad excuse  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ If you can justify it here  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ You will justify it there  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ You are not so complicated that a door  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ Once opened  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ Will not welcome you as you cross the threshold  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ Again and again  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ On a whim  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ On a tantrum  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ On the most righteous crusade the world has ever seen  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ On the greatest atrocity humanity has ever suffered  \n\\_ \\_ There is great evil in this world  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ No evil will ever justify what you want to be justified  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ Though you hate to believe it will not be justified  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ They can be stopped with less  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ An unmitigated deconstruction  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ A punch to their stupid smug prick face on camera  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ A reclassification on Wikipedia  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ And they are done  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ Many will stoke your animus  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ Every chemical in your brain will bid you to act  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ You found one  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ And you will be wrong  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ You must stop them  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ And you will be wrong  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ Make of them pariah  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ And you will be wrong  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ Cast them out  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ And you will be wrong  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ Isolate them  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ And you will be wrong  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ Attack them  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ And you will be wrong  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ Hurt them  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ And you will be wrong  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ Destroy them  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ And you will be wrong  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ Kill them  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ And you will be wrong  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ There are those who indisputably need to be stopped  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ For some  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ A few  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ So very few  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ Fewer than you are thinking even at this moment  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ They have designed and crafted their position  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ That all methods  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ Save death  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ Are all-but-impotent  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ Though they still do not deserve death  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ Stopping them from inflicting harm is what matters  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ But once the evil is stopped  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ Through death or otherwise  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ There is no more to do  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ There is no justice in suffering  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ There is no compensation in cruelty  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ You want that cruelty  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ You crave that suffering  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ You are wrong  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ It does not matter  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ Even a little  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ How extreme you think this case to be  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ To desire suffering  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ You are wrong  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ To desire cruelty  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ You are wrong  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ To believe in retribution  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ You are wrong  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ That it will restore anything  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ You are wrong  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ That it will end  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ You are wrong  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ Pick up that cruelty  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ That suffering  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ Discard it  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ Though you hate to discard it  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ It has no place in a just world  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ This world must  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ Eventually  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ Be a just world  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ Mustn't it?  \n\\_ \\_ Do not be the reason it is not  \n\\_ \\_ \\_ \\_ Yet"}