Fear lingers around us
Even on our best days
Waiting to pounce at the slightest chance
Onto our chest
Some say fear is good others bad
Some say fear is irrational
Others say fear saves lives
Some say it’s an evolutionary response
That’s tuned to misfire
This might be the nearest definition
That fits

Apart from critters and all that slithers
I too fear a lot of things
And my list keeps on growing
As I age
Time is relentless
Takes away a lot than it provides
Stripping us naked
One piece of clothing at a time
Past mountains of bounties turn into hills
When one glances behind
Looking ahead
There’s a palpable fear
An unexplainable dread
About exactly what
I am at a loss
Is it about myself my family or my society
Or human nature or something else
For I see everything withering away
On whatever path I choose

Most would say my fears are inconsequential
For me they are not
When I take a look at the world
See it naked and clear
It’s crude, vicious, mean and ugly
Interspersed with a few good things
Though they are not enough to change the balance
Tilted towards hubris
And they too are dwindling
With each passing day