It Never Entered My Mind

A poem that explores the unsettling progression toward authoritarianism in the political landscape, particularly in the United States.

It never entered my mind
that shadows could stretch this far—
beyond what we were promised, 
beyond what we could see.
Remember when democracy felt 
like sunshine on your face?
Now there's just this heavy fog 
hanging over everything,
reminding us how quiet it's gotten.
Voices that used to ring out are just whispers now,
lost somewhere in those fancy government buildings,
while someone climbs closer to a throne hidden in darkness.

I never imagined trust could... wash away like this,
like sand slipping through your fingers 
when you're desperate for something solid.
Our leaders keep drawing lines, 
building these invisible walls
between regular people and what we believe in,
spinning stories that pull us apart.
Loyalty's become the only currency that matters,
and if you disagree? Well, good luck with that—
it's chilling how words alone can feel like chains.

Didn't see it coming—
how our screens would turn into mirrors,
just reflecting back our worst fears and anger.
Words have become weapons now,
slicing through whatever held us together,
breaking us into these angry little pieces.
Every click, every share,
nudges us toward that scary silence
where speaking up is something people used to do.

It never crossed my mind 
that fear could make a crown,
that power would wrap itself in fake righteousness,
casting shadows over freedoms we took for granted.
Each new rule tightens around us
like vines slowly strangling trees,
while hope flickers like a dying bulb.

I never thought I'd watch this slow erosion happening,
this creeping tide of people just not caring anymore.
Apathy makes everything seem okay,
indifference is just this comfortable pillow
for souls too tired to fight;
while anyone brave enough to ask questions
finds themselves completely alone,
floating in silence,
waiting for a storm that probably won't come.

Never thought history would repeat itself,
that all those lessons would fade away
like stars disappearing at dawn.
Yet here I am,
watching everything slowly come undone,
feeling the weight of every choice.
Our collective heartbeat echoes
as we try to find our way on this fragile path,
all of us longing for a morning filled with light.

Author's Note

I wrote this poem before 12+ million took to the streets nationwide.

…this creeping tide of people… do care.

That gives me hope, even as masked men separate citizens and non-citizens from their jobs, even as people in Congress who oppose the current regime face handcuffs, and even as a would-be king rattles the war sabers.

Upcoming…

• A poem about the essence of the present:

  This Now, 28 June 2025

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