SLOW APOCALYPSE

I thought there would be

more noise,

more fire and destruction,

wailing and lamentations,

war and smoke

and blood and darkness.

Instead,

the only noise I hear

is intolerant,

incessant whining.

 

Don’t people know

that we woke up

post-apocalyptic?

We no longer get to dream.

This is it.

The world is over.

Not sure why you’re listening to

anyone who tells you other.

 

There were no heraldic trumpets,

the sky stayed closed,

it did no open.

No great flash,

bang,

no tidal wave,

no quake;

we just woke up

and it was over.

 

Quite frankly,

I’m kind of surprised

so many survived,

but this is a long apocalypse,

it’ll take a few more decades

to kill all of the living.

Until then,

I guess,

we’re going to have to put up with

the whining of the damned

and the complaining

of the faithless.

 

I always thought

the end of the world

would be different;

not so weak and needy.

More epic battles,

custom cars

and cool hairstyles.

 

I guess it won’t be with a “BANG!”,

but with a snide remark,

a complaint

and a whimper.

After all of this,

we’re don’t go out in style;

we go out

as petulant children.

DJR