Bottled Down Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

In these days of rapid change.
Who is it that can pass judgement.
Or find fault to accuse and blame.
Anyone choosing to remain bottled down.
Liquored up.
Hung over and stupored.
Done to do in a personal protest.
To loosen a grasp.
From ghosts of the past.
Knowing it to be a useless effort,
To hang onto ideals.
Nowhere around does anyone seem to have.

And...
It is not as if,
One like this is unconscious of it.
It is the not being able,
To handle the vastness...
Of all the changes coming their way.
In such a variety that overwhelms.
To overflow cups with distrust and disgust.

Bottled down and liquored up.
Quick to numb a head.
And a mind left,
Of any thoughts to think.
But to drink and sink.
With a wanting nothing else to do.
That appears to accept and choose,
A normalizing of a craze.
So many today seem unable to refuse.
Without abusing,
A more acceptable way...
That approves their delusions.
And betrayed realities.