Learn from Yesterday

“Those who cannot rememberthe past are doomed to repeat it.”

                                    George Santayana

 

Weclearly keep making the same mistakes.

You’dthink we’d learn our lesson.

Couldit be we’re not paying attention, or

Isit some kind of mem’ry regression.

 

Itcould simply be habit, or

Maybewe’re lazy.

Perhapswe should blame the occult.

Wejust do the same thing again and again

Expectinga different result.

 

Youmight think with all of our rational thinking

We’dlearn to look back on the past

Andlearn from the errors of yesterday

Andthe caution their warnings forecast.

 

Paintedon a larger canvas,

Juxtaposedand brought to scale,

Theerrors of the past deliver

Advicefor these perplexing travails.

 

Nationsturn and history records

Thegruesome résumé, and

Hopesbecome fantasy if we fail to

Learnfrom yesterday.