Inspired by a writing prompts by @betweenthetimeandsound
You say you like me and have my back,
But when the rubber hits the road you backtrack.
With your empty words; you thought you ate.
You’re not radically honest or playing the devil’s advocate.
You’re too polite to care.
You just want the underdog out of your hair.
You’re all for equality until I ask for justice.
You like peace and prosperity, but not in practice.
As you write about theories, paragraphs.
Don’t be loud while you die,
Or we might think you’re the bad guy.
You’d rather cry over my crucifixion,
Than defend me when I stand up with convection.
But don’t worry. We will build a museum in your name.
We will give you posthumous fame.
The prompt was crucifixion, and as I started writing I found myself gravitating toward the idea of the dead being easier to defend than the living. The dead can’t make any mistakes. They are not a consenting party in whatever projection you display on them.
Then, I found myself think of the people who would rather defend a dead person, than protect someone who is alive, a people who don’t want to inconvenience themselves by doing something that centers someone else, and would rather perform a mourning that would center them.
Their values are not practical, not because they are too lofty, but because they are never willing to practice what they believe. To them, their values are ideas they get to discuss while sitting in their comfy bed.
