Civility

Present like you mean it.
Speak with dignity.
Condemn the unseemly truth
and cast aside that funny feeling
that something is not quite right.

Prepare statements on human nature
as bombs whistle in agreement overhead.
Convince yourself that the real crime
was the disruption of your peace
of mind. Pay nothing for errors.

Please do not panic.
There is only so much grief in the world,
while you read cold copywrite describing
the unshapely, unimaginable death
of everything that was once there.

Plead for peace. Offer
warm pockets of air known as
platitudes. Soft, empty,
but spacious enough for your
comfort.