A Thought for the Mob - Alexander Sittmann

left right up down without within

wherever he looks, wherever wherein

society be, there be too a din

of inescapable, irrevertible sin

when of the heavens he dreams

to him, without fail it seems

that it, unlike the herd which teems

with argument and deceitful schemes

always is more than the sum of its parts,

those starry stars in those starry charts,

and is less inclined to give headstarts

to those stars which seem “greater” (and their counterparts)

the herd, he calls it, for what else could it be

this entity we call our great society-

no lesser than than the lowly honeybee

and no greater than the antelope in its grassy sea

why, you ask, for most would deem him hollow

like a herd, he answers, its members appear to follow

the individual who orders the herd to swallow

those who do no more than dare to name him callow

he says too (we should listen, he is wise)

that society, like the herd, above all does prize

total obedience: not one who says otherwise

but the individual that never fails to fall for the lies

of supposed freedom, of a united folk.

it’s only the smart ones that recognize the yoke

he names us the herd for we unite

only when necessary- meanwhile we fight

amongst ourselves for a chance at the right

to declare ourselves dictator by means of might

when predators approach, we, like most, run

yes, but not too fast, for we know one

need only ever outrun

the weak, the different, those we shun

and when the weakling is murdered, life goes on

we, like animals, only ever don

the mantle of responsibility when we come upon

a time where we and our own are done

for; or when we realise that

we must conform to the new format

one where being a plutocrat

is no longer all that.

the wise man, however, recognises

that the individual who rises

above the monotony of those who

have become identical in every view

to break the chains

and who, despite the hardship that rains

protects the minority

defies the rule of the majority

that individual, who must suffer the dictator’s misery

to him or her, we owe our continued liberty