Dimming Attic Lights Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

How ironic can irony be?

Today's conflicts.
And tensions to mention them.
Had been expressed decades ago.
Yet ignored and assumed,
Voiced by those...
Believed to be disgruntled.
You know...
The ones made disadvantaged.
Living their disparities.
And forced to live,
Disenfranchised in created ghettos.
Visited by suburbanites.
Using cameras and videos.
Delighting to have their lives,
Compared to safely delude.

How ironic can irony be?

Today's conflicts.
And tensions to mention them.
Gets media coverage.
And psychologists to address.
With opinions to prioritize,
How such conflicts, division...
Bigotry and hatred,
Could possibly exist as is.
Especially within gated and safe,
Communities protected.
By fences and walls.
Beyond the cost and expense,
Money spent can defend their whims.

And yet...
Few find this to be ironic.
That they seem to have become,
More affected...
By their own decisions done.
To keep their activities,
Distant and away from...
The ones who have no invested interest,
In participating in their self destruction.
Although...
Rumored and claimed to be,
The cause and effect...
Of their quality of life,
Sliding downhill.
With no one living disenfranchised.
And living day to day,
Trying to make ends meet.
Nowhere in sight.
But on wide TV screens seen,
Keeping suburbanites up all night.
Convincing themselves,
Who it is they should despise.

How ironic can irony be,
From the inside to witness it.
And advocate for defense,
Against impending threats.
But...
From what does one deluded,
Defends to protect?
If not coming from the outside.
Or...
Can identify,
How they determine this detected.

"Uh...
Could these 'visions' you mention,
Creating your tension and sleepless nights.
Be self inflicted? "

-What do you mean by that? -

"Maybeee...
The attic light is dimming? "

-There is no reason for that to happen.
It has been years since I've used my attic.
For anything.
And trust me if I did,
There would not be any light left on to dim.-

"I believe you.
Yours is purposely turned off."

-You got that right.
Why pretend to use something,
I have no reason or intend to do.-

"More should be that honest.
Less would be the conflict and confusion."