“Unbeing dead isn't being alive.”
e. e. cummings

Many of we humans go through life with a terribly restrictive malady

It’s called tunnel vision and it often hinders our happiness outrageously

It often starts with a person’s inflated ego and sense of self worth

And very often with this illness there is very little room for mirth

Those afflicted with tunnel vision often have blood-shot eyes filled with hate

And to blame someone else for our many troubles we often simply can’t wait

When our children struggle at school very often it’s not our concern

We assume the damn teachers are responsible to make our kids learn

And we often endorse sending our young men and women off to another war

Yet when our veterans ask for assistance government programs many of us abhor

And people suffering from this horrifying and deadly disease

Are often very unwilling to see the green forest for the trees

We can’t seem to see the mountain because of its many small hills

Nor can we truly gaze at nature’s beauty and its many inspiring thrills

We often can’t see the magnificence of humanity’s ethnic diversity

Or the wondrous splendor of the many creatures in the deep blue sea

Far too often we don’t try to envision the other side’s point of view

And many of us refuse to tolerate anything even slightly different or new

Some of us don’t even notice that many of our earthly neighbors struggle to survive

And some of us refuse to seek the sweet overflowing honey in our maddening beehive

Many of us can’t see the pure innocence in a young child’s face

And many of us can’t stand anyone not of the same religion or race

Many of us routinely sit in houses of worship totally consumed with our hate

Truly believing that only our opinions and values matter so why the hell debate

Many of us can’t waste time gazing at a lovely sparrow’s nest

Since we’re in far too much of a hurry to outmaneuver the rest

Some of us won’t even consider the potential consequences of pillaging our Mother Earth

Since we can only see bank account balances and the number of dollars that we’re worth

Many of we humans never gaze with awe and wonder at our planet’s daily free sunrise

Since so many of us refuse to remove the blinders from our very narrowly focused eyes

And most of us routinely rush through yet another hectic nerve-wracking day

Never ever having the time or even the inclination to smile laugh or play

When many return home they don’t see the devotion in their loyal pet’s eyes

And many of us seldom spot the hurt and sorrow as our neglected spouses cry

Most of us have some degree of tunnel vision - seeing only what we choose to see

And so many of us are truly missing so much in life – what a life-wasting tragedy

Life on this earth is rarely ever just black and white – it truly has very many shades

Perhaps we should all work on shedding our tunnel vision – and stop being so afraid

“May you live every day of your life.”
Jonathan Swift

©2005, Ed Kostro