A glimpse of hope

I spent the last few days driving around the countryside and visited dozens of art studios, in what is called here the "Autumn Leaves Studio Tour". I met so many talented, intelligent, NICE young people that my misanthropy withered on the vine and I started to see glimpses of hope. That is the background to the following poem:

A glimpse of hope

It’s a curse to be obsessed
with the big picture of human destiny:
that’s where most of the pain, tragedy,
brutality, betrayal awaits
the unwary traveler
who finds the new medieval lords
ready to repeat
the horrific past.

It’s best to cultivate myopia:
see the bright colours, hopeful signs,
examples of human happiness
all around you: talent, compassion,
desire to help, to participate
with neighbors, friends, strangers
in a human tribe.

And, maybe, just remotely maybe,
all these millions of small people
we can see if we open our eyes,
will, in the nick of time,
have a redeeming effect on our destiny…
…and when we look back to see how it all happened,
we may find how the small triumphed over the big,
how, in the long run, evil never had a chance.