Third World Versus Developed World Poem by Raymond Farrell

Having lived around the world
It is my observation that
The honesty of life
In the third world
Is stark and real
And problems there
Are faced in real time
They scream in your face
But in the developed world
There is a state
Of mutual denial
The elephant in the room
Is not spoken about
In honest terms
But as though it were
Merely some academic problem
That can be put off
For future generations
To deal with
The effects of insurmountable debt
That keeps growing and growing
Is not about
To be faced honestly
In real time
By the majority of people
If that can be avoided
And the harshness
Of this approach
Will be felt
By future generations
Because too many
Of today's generation
Are too self-centered
And selfish
To take the required steps
To help ameliorate
The inevitable consequences
Of wreckless government spending
And a bloated bureaucracy.