The seasoned ones are leaving
They hadn't survived this long by being fools
They knew and lived the dreaded history
Took mandates and advice seriously
Always played by the book
Understood the rules
Navigated a world poised to lessen their plight
That they're deemed dispensable, hardly seems right
They should be enjoying this time in their lives
This season's so horribly cruel
The seasoned ones are leaving
Those who valued community
Sacrificed, and invested
So that others could soar
--and do less with more
They planned, worked, and prayed
Foundations were laid
For an end no one could have expected
The seasoned ones are leaving
They were the vessels of our history;
Our stories, secrets, and regrets
The mirrors of our futures and health
The evidence of stolen wealth
Our heroes, counselors, vaults, and sages
What of this bleak time, on History's pages
Will be said of our lost safety nets?
The seasoned ones are leaving
Quickly snatched away by a tiny foe
That made daunting the choice to stay, or to go
Rescued from chaos;
For them, no more grieving
For us, years of ignorance and woe
Incompetence in high places
Ineptitude in once learned spaces
More than one could ever know
The seasoned ones are leaving
The incessant losses-- evil and absurd
Where are the grand home-going days, they deserve?
Are their exits divine, and compassionate?
Have we all learned any lessons yet--
To heed wisdom?
Value expertise?
Consider the most susceptible and weak?
Or will we continue to struggle and strain
While mourning drenches the nation like rain
And each lie rewarded, invites more pain
Are there any, among those who remain
Quite like the seasoned ones?
VRWc2024
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