I feel sad

I feel sad

I do not feel miserable, morose, melancholic, mournful or miserable.

I do not feel downhearted, depressed, despondent, downcast or doleful.

I do not feel unhappy, miserable, wretched, glum, gloomy, forelorn or heartbroken.

I feel sad.

that many are hungry in our world,

that there are too many people for our world

that soils and plants, insects and birds, seas and fish, and other animals, are dying for us

I feel sad

that education hasn’t yet rid us of the evil nonsense that is religion

that people die fighting, even with their imaginary friends in the sky on their side

that human intelligence hasn’t yet defeated superstition

I feel sad

that I did not educate myself earlier in life

that there are so many wonders that I do not have time to learn about

that I am not clever enough to understand the universe.

I feel sad

for the child born today that will die tomorrow

for the mother who watches her child die without food

for our greed in not sharing our plenty with those in need.

I feel sad

that women of the world do not control their lives

that women do not more run the world

that women do not have equality with men

I feel sad

that we still make war instead of talk

that we send our young people to kill and die

that they fight because our leaders always fail us

I feel sad

that clever people don’t know how to make things better

that we do not cherish our precious planet

that we will learn how, too late

I feel sad

that I am not leaving the world a better place

that I have been too selfish to help others

that I have not been what perhaps I could have been

I feel sad

that the world has not improved during my life time

that we are not better at cooperating

that the small gains I see are not enough

I feel sad

that the hope we saw in 1945 has been dimmed

that the ‘war to end all wars’ - didn’t

that we never learn from history

I feel hope

that education is improving

that religion and ignorance is retreating

that science is becoming better understood

I feel hope

that women of the world are demanding education

that all the male religions are in decline

that woment will refuse to give their children up to war

I feel hope

because the ‘starving millions’ are fewer each year

because there is food enough to feed us all, if we want it enough

because we are starting to share our riches

I feel hope

because my children are better educated than me

because my children have no time for religion

because my children are better people than me

I feel sad

for the past

I feel hope

for the future