When significance had meaning
It was quite significant
Numbers meant something
Words held meaning.
History was history
Unconsoled and real
The past was magical
A teaching comfort.
But, no more
History needs tweaks
Statues need demolishing
Books rewritten and relearning.
Nothing is significant
Nothing has meaning
Only that which is implied
Repeated often, falsehood turns to legend.
The man of Statistics
Lives by manipulation
Reaching for Outcomes
That remain meaningless.
The man of Medicine
Lives by some numerical value
His patient dies
From that same numerical Value
A new Medicine is born
Filled with high praise
Lauded for its magical value
Tested in society, where it fails
No harm comes to the innovator
As she lives the dream
Beset with hubris
Concocting another miracle
The man of Politics
Lives in his cagey bubble
Cajoling and promising
Tethered to the pols of similar “significance.”
The man of Science
Rewards himself with finery
Consenting to an aura of respect
Deeply rooted in statistical significance
The man of Cloth
Measures the winds of change
Is inspired by
The men of Statistics and Politics
The average Working Man
Comes home to a cold meal
Living a diminished life
And is disdained by the lot
What has become of Society?
What has become of Society?
What has become of Society?
What happened to Society?