We have lost part of our ethos

We look to the government, to Washington,
to fill a void in our culture, a vacuum,
the collapse of the family, the church,
the anchor in our lives
Lost in a Devil’s Bargain…

Prosperity, urbanization, the industrial revolution,
things that tore us from the land, family,
away from our faith, community,
caused an awful breach,
A vacuum to be filled…

Society reached for the center
when we were in crisis,
the Great Depression,
to heal inequity, poverty,
But we paid an awful price…

Divided against ourselves
neighbor against neighbor,
calling them the Other,
separated into camps,
Not trusting one another...

How do we return, extricate,
returning power from the center
when the vacuum that was created
the same truth remains, present,
When we chose the Devil’s Bargain…

-----
August 13, 2025
We have lost part of our ethos
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/08/we-have-lost-part-of-our-ethos.html
 
All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 202 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See all 58,000+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.
 
Poetry, poem, America, culture, Washington, government, community, family, church, parties,
 
#Poetry #poem #America #culture #Washington #government #community #family #church #parties