by Bethany Mootsey

The world dismisses simple right and wrong.
Like newsprint, black and white are obsolete.
Still, evil surges, sinister and strong.

“The truth is what you feel,” croons every song.
Consumers catch its pitch and press “repeat.”
The world dismisses simple right and wrong.

Just take a look at China’s Falun Gong.
Its tenets hold no danger to defeat.
Still, evil surges, sinister and strong.

They place practitioners in cells, prolong
Their pain, and while their parts are minced like meat,
The world dismisses simple right and wrong.

A practice that once drew an eager throng
Has dwindled due to forcible retreat.
Still, evil surges, sinister and strong.

When faced with false notes, will you sing along,
Or will you scream and stand up in your seat?
The world dismisses simple right and wrong.
Still, evil surges, sinister and strong.

* * *

 

Winner of the 2nd Place Award in FoFG’s 2022 Poetry Contest