The Mosh Pit at Endfest, In Washington, D.C., 1991.
The Walking Live
The walking live are still alive,
among the burgeoning classes,
with freedom to the right to life,
adding daily to their masses.
Some call them zombies,
some call them walkers,
some call them even empties,
some call them simply fans,
and some are even stalkers.
They congregate in crowds,
some even in congregations,
to worship in their surfing,
to their leaders' incantations.
They storm the gates to entry,
with freedom to disregard rules.
Do they like authority challenged,
or are they just misguided fools?
They may drone on in chants,
they may raise nasty slogans,
they may shout battle cries,
as if out of their noggins.
A friendly gathering can easily,
turn into a mindless raging mob.
From a joyous slamming mosh,
into a tragedy that makes us sob.
Why did this all have to happen?
Why weren't we even aware?
That people were being crushed,
while we surged without a care.
Was it just our joyous singing?
Was it just that we couldn't see?
Or was it something else altogether,
the danger of herd mentality?
Blame will now be pointed,
lawsuits will look for gold,
but the danger of groupthink,
will still not be fully told.
Copyright 2021 © Ronald W. Hull
11/10/21
You can read and print this poem at my website here.
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Rebecca
Your words demand that each of us revisit and reconsider the initial general reactions.
There is certainly a strangely hypnotic demeanor born of these scenarios, but where once it was an expression of adoration and admiration for a talent...a personality, it seems to have become more akin to cult worship and servitude.
The most compelling clip I saw recently was one where the performer continued in an eerie chant, while chaos developed at his feet at an alarming speed... one could almost say 'feeding the frenzy'...
An era emerging with an altogether very different mentality.
Way back parents wouldn’t think twice about their
kids going to a concert…now it’s a vastly different matter…
It seems to be a recklessness… a disregard for safety for
oneself and for others…It happened at Wembley here in UK
recently…appalling!
Diana…
Why the crowd surged at this most current tragedy is shameful, because it seems to be all based upon getting a closer look, or so it seems. I can understand the threat of fire or sudden violence perpetrated upon a crowed, but certainly this mass type hysteria due to some sort of greed and uncontrolled fandom is crazy...tragically crazy.
Saw the Beatles twice back in the day and for the most part we all stayed in our seats. Woodstock (wasn't there)everyone just seemed to be pretty mellow and crashing out on blankets.
Great poetic account, Ron.