Have Humans lost the Race

A question of perspective from Brian Sankarsingh

This is a dark poem with more than a few triggers so be wary.

I feel the world is teetering on the brink of nuclear war. During a time when robber barons rule the day. A time when greed and generosity live side by side. Where hate and kindness shared the same bed. Sure, we now have cellphones and social media, at the stroke of a screen we can access an encyclopedia…but I don’t think we’ve changed.

God hates sinners says the pastor on the stage 
Sinful things, he says, sends him into a rage  
He hates everything that is evil 
All evil things come from the devil 
He stands on the dais, he says we all are sinners  
I respond because a thing glitters... 
For when he’s caught in a lie, our pastor he cries 
Yet if you’re the one caught, don’t be surprised 
He simply says please forgive me y’all, I have sinned  
But you’d be tarred, feathered, and skinned  
Meanwhile our pastor after a couple of years  
At it again, he says god hates the trans and the queers 
Back on the stage he says he was born again  
If you agree then let me hear an amen  
With all of that hating does god have time for love?  
As it is here so shall it be up above  
We’ve got to have this uneasy discussion  
It’s a cause-and-effect repercussion  
Then there the king who sits ‘pon his throne 
This was granted by his god, to him alone  
He says there he rules by god’s divine grace  
And therefore, this means he cannot be replaced  
In all that he does, the king is empowered by god 
But one must admit that his logic is flawed  
He implies that he can do no wrong  
As we wonder what happens when he’s gone  
The priest screams only he can interpret “the word”  
He prays day and night so we can be assured  
His relationship with god makes him very special 
The priest says that he a channel not an earthly vessel  
Believe in my god for your eternal salvation 
He is the one who designed all this creation  
He is the only path in the here and hereafter 
We are his servants, and he is our master  
History shows us some humans demand a shepherd 
Someone to keep away the lions, bears, and leopards 
Somebody above them, to hold them in check 
Even if it means a collar strung around their neck  
In captivity, they swear that they live in freedom 
Proud to belong to their master’s holy fiefdom 
In the filthiest conditions they find an excuse 
They gladly suffer torment and degrading abuse 
This is a bane, a curse of the human race   
Often many obey, saying they know their place  
The rich rule the poor, demand they be content 
However, there are times when this leads to dissent 
Often this leads to a very bloody revolution 
Unfortunately, this only serves to further the illusion 
Call me pessimistic but I don’t see things changing  
All that we’re doing is some sloppy rearranging  
Some people seem to always chase murder and mayhem 
Sure, they try to hide it but their actions betray them   
We must be vigilant when these people raise their voice 
For often they will leave us with no other choice

Bio: Brian Sankarsingh is a Trinidadian-born Canadian immigrant who moved to Canada in the 1980s. He describes himself as an accidental poet, with a passion for advocacy and a penchant for prose, an unapologetic style, he offers his poetry as social and political commentary.