It's an Upside-down World

My eyes have changed, because I see differently now. 

Apparently

it's even apparent in photos--who knew?

 

When I was a wee one my first dance recital was to the song

It's an Upside-down World

Now I'm older, much older, and I have begun to ask questions such as:

Why do we celebrate a day of Truth and Reconciliation by wearing orange shirts?

A day where we collectively admonish our colonial heritage, and bring awareness to its violence and ongoing consequences

All while colonialist wars are raging, amping up by the hour

Why?

Why are we guilted to shame for our part in the colonialism

While the government(s) responsible still do not provide clean water for the people we are supposedly honouring?

While the government(s) responsible seem to only care about bombing other indigenous people

While the government(s) responsible still uphold a local system where indigenous people are in foster care and incarceration at rates far out of proportion?

It's an Upside-down World

Where we are "fighting" a war on drugs

By supplying drugs to people whose lives have been ruined by them

"Because we care"

It's an Upside-down World

Where powers pressure us to save it--save the planet--all while flying their private jets to jet-setter meetings 

Meetings laced with expensive escorts but oh no we must do something about all the human trafficking, while we toast to saving the climate--saving the planet--over caviar

And power the child labour mines for the EV batteries

It's an Upside-down World

Best be ware the saviour come to get you

The Russell Brands that "speak truth to power" oh so eloquently

Whilst being baptized--their sins away--lest someone call them out they have mended their ways that was in the past--listen!

Listen to the message, and how far it goes

You know who's in power by who you cannot criticize

Listen to the message, and how far it goes, only enough truth to pull you in and trap you in a cul de sac of fake two party war mongering 

"Entrench yourselves in your views!", harder

It's an Upside-down World when so many have forgotten

Behind their shots (and that ear "shot")

What was behind the windows, the partitions, the doors, the bodies...

What put us there? The trauma was too much...it's time to move on

The trauma's too much

Shhhhhhhh

Humans have a natural tendency to try and forget about pain, to look for the simple answer, to not rock the boat

But it's an Upside-down World

The boat has been rocked

We're all on it

It's being rocked and rocked and rocked and rocked

Shhhhhhhh, though, just wear your orange shirt, that'll make it better

Just listen to _____________ and vote for ______________ that'll make it better

Or, at least not worse.

So...

the same.


The same, though? Is that all we want? 


Cynicism will not help, but neither will naive Pollyanna-ing. 

And neither will the same. 


My eyes have changed. He even said so. 

It's because 

I see differently now.


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