a poem for our time

Words to Eschew (on)
 
William Bennett Turner
 
 
No, I won’t lean in to create an impactful narrative
 
For I lack agency to unpack the national conversation
 
I could be proactive, get out of my lane, and pivot away from gaslighting
 
            But could I do the heavy lifting, see though a different lens,
 
            Be woke and set off a firestorm?
 
This would be a performative event, one to prioritize,
 
            If sufficiently incentivized.
 
Ah, the time is long past due
 
            And remains to be seen.
 
As I resist uttering words that are trite, hackneyed, cliched, overused and fatuous.