Civility 7/09

I remember the feeling of civility
I remember when we had some pride
I remember when thinking about America
Made me feel good inside

I remember when it was a virtue
To display humility
Now our instincts tend towards
Vulgar displays of misguided virility

I hear the old man
Curse at his grandchildren
On the train
His voice is all that remains
As the silence rises
And the festive mood disappears
You can see the heads begin to shake
As people envision their deepest fears

The pretty girl from overseas
Looks at me curiously
In her refined mind
Such behavior is an anomaly
I ignore the interruption
And elaborate on triviality
I refuse to spoil the congeniality
By explaining that his addled mind
Considers this a normality

If I can cover his transgression
With intelligent conversation
I can at least preserve the impression
Of insignificant aberration

But what concerns me most
Is the absence of dignity
The indifferent behavior
The crass acceptance of slight cruelty

I wonder if our principles
Can be preserved
I wonder if the opinions of our detractors
Are undeserved
I am an optimist by birth
I care about every single person on earth
Sometimes more than they care about themselves

I wish for amiability
Because it multiplies freedom by degrees
Making it that much more real
And instantaneous decision
Can change how we all deal
With each other