"Don't Follow the Crowd" - Bahamas AI Art
©A. Derek Catalano
Don't Follow the Crowd
The path is wide where the many stride,
A comfort found in the push and glide.
A current strong, a magnetic pull,
To merge the self and become the full,
Unthinking mass, the homogenous flow,
Where questions wither and doubts can't grow.
They march in time to a beaten drum,
A rhythm stale from where it has come.
Their eyes are fixed on the back of the next,
Their fear of solitude easily vexed,
By the murmur low, the communal breath,
That promises ease, though leading to death—
The death of the mind, the spirit's slow fade,
The masterpiece lost, the choice unmade.
The shepherds of consensus call out loud,
From painted stages and within the shroud
Of screens that glow with a borrowed light,
They feed the hunger to be always right.
They preach the fashion, the temporary truth,
And promise solace to the fragile youth,
Who crave acceptance more than inner peace,
And trade their freedom for a brief release.
The voices blend in a drone of assent,
No challenge hurled, no energy spent
On seeking roots beyond the surface deep,
While genuine knowledge lies fast asleep.
And so they walk, a river of grey,
Believing the safety of a well-worn way.
.jpg "Tropic Vacation")
