# Simplify Yourself In These Ways

Author: Star Ringer
Tags: Litany, Poetry, free verse

My slow metamorphosis into Walt Whitman continues unabated.

Oh, friend  
\_ \_ If you have never heeded me before  
\_ \_ \_ \_ I beg you  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ Heed me now  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ Though I must break your heart  
This world is not built to be perceived  
\_ \_ It is more complicated and simple than it needs be for your interaction  
\_ \_ \_ \_ People will do the worst and best things imaginable for reasons you'll never comprehend  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ You want them to be discernible and measurable  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ Because they must be  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ Mustn't they?  
Please  
\_ \_ Simplify yourself in these ways  
\_ \_ \_ \_ Though you hate to believe you can be simplified in these ways  
\_ \_ \_ \_ If a good excuse will allow you to do a bad thing  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ So too will a bad excuse  
\_ \_ \_ \_ If you can justify it here  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ You will justify it there  
\_ \_ \_ \_ You are not so complicated that a door  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ Once opened  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ Will not welcome you as you cross the threshold  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ Again and again  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ On a whim  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ On a tantrum  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ On the most righteous crusade the world has ever seen  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ On the greatest atrocity humanity has ever suffered  
\_ \_ There is great evil in this world  
\_ \_ \_ \_ No evil will ever justify what you want to be justified  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ Though you hate to believe it will not be justified  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ They can be stopped with less  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ An unmitigated deconstruction  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ A punch to their stupid smug prick face on camera  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ A reclassification on Wikipedia  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ And they are done  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ Many will stoke your animus  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ Every chemical in your brain will bid you to act  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ You found one  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ And you will be wrong  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ You must stop them  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ And you will be wrong  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ Make of them pariah  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ And you will be wrong  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ Cast them out  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ And you will be wrong  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ Isolate them  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ And you will be wrong  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ Attack them  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ And you will be wrong  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ Hurt them  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ And you will be wrong  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ Destroy them  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ And you will be wrong  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ Kill them  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ And you will be wrong  
\_ \_ \_ \_ There are those who indisputably need to be stopped  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ For some  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ A few  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ So very few  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ Fewer than you are thinking even at this moment  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ They have designed and crafted their position  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ That all methods  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ Save death  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ Are all-but-impotent  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ Though they still do not deserve death  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ Stopping them from inflicting harm is what matters  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ But once the evil is stopped  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ Through death or otherwise  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ There is no more to do  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ There is no justice in suffering  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ There is no compensation in cruelty  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ You want that cruelty  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ You crave that suffering  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ You are wrong  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ It does not matter  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ Even a little  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ How extreme you think this case to be  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ To desire suffering  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ You are wrong  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ To desire cruelty  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ You are wrong  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ To believe in retribution  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ You are wrong  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ That it will restore anything  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ You are wrong  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ That it will end  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ You are wrong  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ Pick up that cruelty  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ That suffering  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ Discard it  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ Though you hate to discard it  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ It has no place in a just world  
\_ \_ \_ \_ This world must  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ Eventually  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ Be a just world  
\_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ Mustn't it?  
\_ \_ Do not be the reason it is not  
\_ \_ \_ \_ Yet

Source: https://sofurry.com/s/dmBwMWn6