What happens when civility is a thing of the past,
With courteousness and politeness replaced by outcast?

When opinions were actually discussed and debated,
Not simply obstructed and vitiated.

When activists educated and fought,
Before wokeism cancelled without thought.

When tolerance was hailed in schools and workplaces,
Before the parade of kvetching about-faces.

Historical lessons we failed to have learned
Now leave little wisdom for us to discern.

With computers ubiquitous, and everything online,
Communication and truth are on the decline.

Gone are the journalists who researched their pieces,
Where primary sources were not fabricated speeches.

We’re all omniscient narrators in this vast online game,
Where truth, science and facts are no longer righteous aims.

Racism, sexism, ableism all persist,
Landing many victims on someone’s blacklist.

If it’s divisiveness we want to heal, real kinship we must find.
So, prepare to redefine what it means to be kind.

After all, with rose colored glasses we judge self and friends
In a looking-glass world many yearn to transcend.

Words have meanings and meanings have power.
Empathy and understanding must be practiced by the hour.

Civility, tolerance and politeness were once related.
Don’t let them all become negated.