This generation is broken.

Songs like faucets dripping one 

swear word after another.

People being okay, blasé,

with the blood of a bad grade 

on their formerly heaven-sent report cards.

A person sharpens their words like swords 

and when an enemy is slain or doubled in 

pain from words or fists or guns, there is 

no punishment. Unless the public wants 

a Hollywood scandal, unless something 

in the offender has been vandalized and 

someone wants to be hailed a hero, no one is punished for their sins.

This generation is dressed 

in the clothing of warped words,

flying fists, and sly social media.

These are sweaters  that we wear 

because they make us feel better in 

the bitter cold of apathy, of tragedy.

Someone comes along with that

same sweater and there are no compliments,

only an unnecessary competition of hate and suspicion 

that leaves both contestants deprived and depressed,

worse off than before it started.

This generation is confused 

with nice and mean. It might seem

like your friend is mad at you

when he says, “You jerk” or “You dummy”.

But while that was true, now the more he

uses those words, the more he is validated,

celebrated, by his peers. Including you.

Go the other way, and suddenly when he

says “I love you” or “I’m here”, the words grow

teeth and a time limit, a burden of expectations,

a feeling of intimidation, trepidation, following you so you make

sure not to lose the respect and effect that the words carry.

Then the kindness is spent and all there is is pent-up anger

like signs on the road that say “Danger, turn back”.

Somehow it’s okay to do that now.

This generation is fooled 

by the media. TV, news, TikTok, any other

viewing site hides its bite 

with upbeat ads and luring lifehacks.

Addiction weakens initial suspicion, a 

vacuum that sucks until we’re buried in debris, 

a scrolling spree that clenches its claws

and won’t let us free.

This generation once had 

a halo over it. We were supposed to be 

saviors of the world. Working both harder

and smarter than our ancestors, backs breaking

 with the burden of our success

and the beaming smiles tossed our way.

Our parents hoped, wished, and prayed,

and now we’ve betrayed everyone.

This generation has been 

leisurely losing its lustrous glow. The news and TV

are filled with traumas with no way to know 

how to stop them.

This generation was not

supposed to turn out like this.

We destroyed the house of hope

and a new one out of the stones of disappointment.

This generation is

spent, severed, and sliced

into small, pointless pieces.

We have nothing left, no solution,

nowhere to turn until the next

generation comes along to save us.