RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: WORLD DEMOCRACY
The Ni-nis of Columbia
(Ni-ni: neither work nor school)
They fill the streets of protest in Columbia
Their numbers are growing in
Chile Argentina Brazil and Mexico
Young people without hope or promise
There are no jobs and those
Who cannot see past the hour
(an hour of hunger and rage)
Have no need of education
They are the disenchanted
They are the disengaged
They have lost faith in institutions
Government has failed them
Democracy has failed them
Free enterprise has failed them
The church has abandoned them
God has betrayed them
They have only one endeavor
One remaining purpose in this life
To fill the streets of protest
Day after day
Night after night
They feed on hopelessness
They feed on social media
Some say they feed on fake news
But reality is more than sufficient
You cannot beat them into submission
You cannot pound them into hope
Your corrupt institutions have failed
To serve the heart of your society
The time has come to step down
Let the next generation take over
Give them a place at the table
Allow them to remake the world
That you have molded in greed
Give them their due or
Face the dismal consequences