It is easy to become disillusioned
with institutions which we know,
and which have gotten us this far,
when we see the mess we are in.
So, what do we do? Organize anew?
And create institutions to do
what we have always done.
Does anyone believe our churches,
companies, and governments
were created out of hate?
Our newly formed groups are not new.
It is always the same.
Each tries to do its best, the best it can do.
The first rule of any group or institution,
like the first rule of each individual,
is to survive, and hopefully thrive.
Membership dues, costs and fees
keep each institution alive.
And money corrupts with greed
to be more, have more, do more.
It seems to be a human need.
As usual, we see the angry diatribe renewed
against religions and governments
for what they have failed to do.
I ask, what do you do?
How many soup kitchens do you run?
How many hospitals have you built?
How many roads do you maintain?
How many times have you failed
to do your best, and ignore the rest
of us? We are only human.
Should our institutions be better?
If so, then so must we be.
Love is not a verb, but an action word.
Love helps us feel the way to act
better than we ever knew we could.
Love erases the word “should”
with the act which rebuilds
institutions of which we can once again be proud.
Tearing down is much easier, I know,
than rehabilitating the world
wherever we are, wherever we go.
Find your hammer, whatever it is.
Mine is words on a page.
Grab some nails and form a crew.
The whole world is depending
on me, and, on you.
Let us rebuild, not tear down
what worked so well before
it became what we chose to ignore,
and let rot
under the weight of heavy storms.
annarino writes 