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