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first-they-came-martin-niemoller

 

This feels like a good moment to share this poem, my take on Martin Neimoller’s original of the same name (see image above). Blessings all…xxx

 

First they came

 

after Martin Niemöller

 

First they came for our attention spans,

and we failed to notice them

leaching our capacity to focus, until lost

seconds became minutes, became hours,

devoured by screens that drained our sleep,

leaving us weak and returning

to feed from our own parasites.

 

Then they came for our curiosity,

and we didn’t make time to unpick

their headlines served loud and large,

we swallowed them whole,

finding ourselves too full for truth,

and growing fat on ‘facts’ that clogged

the narrow vessels of our intelligence.

 

Then they came for our trust,

and we didn’t dare lay bare

our mistakes and apologise, preferring to

lie, creating divisions so deep and wide

we lost sight of our responsibility for their beginnings

concluding instead such schisms had always

been there so where was the need to repair them.

 

Then they came for our affection,

and we didn’t question their poisonous

insinuation that all touch was sexual,

So innocent hugs were deemed risky

and we left our elderly in homes where

central heating and lap rugs

were considered warmth enough.

 

It’s been said they’re coming for compassion next.