The Problem with Today's Young People

"An extraterrestrial being, newly arrived on Earth - scrutinizing what we mainly present to our children in television, radio, movies, newspapers, magazines, the comics, and many books - might easily conclude that we are intent on teaching them murder, rape, cruelty, superstition, credulity, and consumerism.

"We keep at it, and through constant repetition many of them finally get it.

"What kind of society could we create if, instead, we drummed into them science and a sense of hope?"

-Carl Sagan, “The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark”

Jellyfish

Of necessity we share these waters.
My frequent companion -
Shimmering
Graceful
Beautiful
Serene in motion,
Undisturbed by turbulent currents.

I look on your diaphanous form
And I see strength
Tranquility
Potential.

All of it an illusion.

Threatened,
You puff yourself up
To become threatening.

Touched,
You lash out
And sting.

Jagged menace
Beneath the smooth and placid surface.

Harsh reality
Has rendered you harsh as well.

I look again
And I see
Only what I see.

No heart
No spine
No brain
Only stimulus/response
Ad infinitum.

Reaction without cognition.
Reflex without reflection.
Form without purpose.
Existence without meaning.

Insubstantial
Hollow
Fleeting
Adrift on the tides of eternity.

Are you even truly alive?

Perception.
Contemplation.
Clarity.
Horror.
How much of me do I see in you?

--
MSM, August 2010