The Mad

By Cliff Lake

 

The Mad

 

What false fog obscures the eye?

Who can breathe that dirty brown?

Burning fields rain ash into the sky.

Deadly raptor roars overhead,

From above explosive darts fly,

On orders from the insane,

Who call themselves the good guy.

 

In someone else’s sin we’re clad,

Is he thinking about

Using the launchpad?

And when it all goes bad,

Then will we realize

We are the mad.

 

Aren’t you glad you get to work?

Count your blessings in layers of soot:

Dutiful progress do not shirk.

Mother Earth gives her blood to burn,

Moon and stars swim above the murk.

We crawl the ground and brighter shine,

While we bleed ourselves with blackened dirk.

 

In pursuit of greedy sin we’re clad,

Are we thinking about

What grime we add?

And when it all goes bad

Will we deny that

We are the mad.

 

Look to nature for the contrast -

Are we clever enough?

Leaning into mistakes of the past.

We lull ourselves in blind slumber:

In electric comfort we bask.

Is there no future to sing of?

Or is that too much to ask?

 

In the laziest sin we’re clad,

Have we thought how we’re

Mired in the past we’ve had.

And when it all goes bad,

Will we understand

We are the mad.

Do we understand

We are the mad.

Do not deny that

We are the mad.

When do we realize

We are the mad.

 

Cliff Lake 3/23/2026

Copyright © Clifford Lake 2026.

Location: Wichita, KS, USA

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