I PRETENDED I DID NOT SEE
By Evelyn Hayes,
Author of the
Plague Series because their hearts were softened to accept the unacceptable.
© February 24,
2014
I pretended I did not see.
I pretended I did not hear.
I pretended I
wasn’t there.
I pretended I was not we.
And I saw the bullying, the slandering, the
intimidating, the vicious thuggery-
So smug and cruel
Against the rules.
I pretended it wasn’t so bad.
I pretended there was some glad.
I pretended they were right.
I pretended majority means truth
And I saw the ruthlessness, the abusiveness, the
comradery against their ridiculed.
Shame, I wasn’t a fool:
There was a duel against righteousness.
I pretended as their brazenness got more evil,
inconceivable, more provocative, more distasteful, less lawful.
I pretended I was not responsible.
I pretended I was not irresponsible.
I pretended I was innocent Just a bystander
And I saw the sadness from their madness
And I saw the tears from the jeering, jabbing,
jabbering, damaging demented actions.
And I saw no smiles nor gladness, just stress and strain,
loneliness, loss,
from such
cruelty without restraint.
And when I when I thought, “So Shameful” It was too
late.
The pain had been too great.
It was too late.
Because of the meanness of those ravaging against correctness,
a royalty for such a comradery created such dejectedness
And I reflected: I could have interfered
And there would have been another fate
A better act than hate.
But I had failed to react
And I cried, tried to hide that I could have done
something.
I could have been a righteous friend
And not let there be such an end to innocence, uniqueness,
blessedness, dreams so grand.
I could have stopped the recklessness, the offensive. Oppressive.
Massiveness, divisiveness of a misguided majority riding on the power of disempowerment
for an unheavenly stake.
If only I had done what I could, what I should have
done
Against what I saw, heard, witnessed…
I pretended and now I know I am guilty too.
I would have made a difference if not pretending
indifference.
I pretended, but I was aware
And I cared but did nothing
And the victim is now nothing, is no more. Is no more.
I failed the test of reaction, action.
I did not give support. I did not retort. I did not
report the crime.
I did not fight for right.
I did not make an alliance against noncompliance,
violence, wrong.
I failed the test.
Will I be next?