Tough Shit. A Poem

TOUGH SHIT

So you woke up this morning
The sun was shining
Birds singing

Heard the screaming alarm
Got outta bed
Made coffee &
Drove to work

Got cut off in traffic
Got the middle finger
Got stuck at the red light
And got a warning from
Your boss

Then?

You got 150 calls
Back to back
Drove home

Your dog
Shit on the floor
You burned your dinner
The Internet stopped working

Told the neighbor downstairs
Playing loud music to stop
So you could sleep

Just to wake up
Again tomorrow
& repeat it all over

So in your head
you silently scream

Please …

STOP
THIS
ALL
NOW

But no.

Nothing happens
Nothing changes

At all

Well?

So what?

(Tough Shit)

In an era an age where
Kindness does or
Does not exist

Doesn’t rise?

In a time when
Assholes are trying
To overthrow the government
And wars in foreign countries
Are bombing & killing everyone

That’s right

(Tough Shit)

Because that’s reality
That’s life
That’s the real world
Which we live in

Whether you like it

Or not

And we all want
A better world a better life
Peace & positive change
That all the politicians, leaders
& all the other people of
This world promise but

Just
won’t
give

Won’t make

For anyone

So

(Tough Shit)

Because that’s the
Way it is

Way it’s always been
But in all honesty the
Poet, artist or writer
Shouldn’t lie or smooth
Things all over, create happy false platitudes
Or hope machines of loving grace

For the living
Or the dead
Or even the brain dead

But tomorrow?

You will wake up again
Curse these words, this poem
For all it’s directness, its honesty
And then wrapped up in your
Daily routine forget all about it

And read more words
On social media
Facebook or Instagram

That will encourage you
To get out there and
Carpe diem, live & fight
This endless battle
Once more & again

So without malice
Without hate or
With or without God
The universe says

(Tough shit)

But declines to tell
You why or what to do next

But what have you done?
Did? To change anything
To even try or attempt to ?

Perhaps nothing
Perhaps alot

But you still believe

So maybe
That’s enough
All there is

All we have

Posting things up
& tearing them down

Because this remaining
World isn’t just made of
Beauty, justice & pretty
Flowers or even love or
Kindness but just

Tough shit

A party where you
May sacrifice yourself
Do what you can

Or not

All futures
Are up
To you

Whether you
Like it

Or not

~ R.M. Engelhardt
©2023