Chaos

Chaos is a friend of mine who follows me all around,
Enveloping, surrounding me, wherever I am found
Along the many paths I tread, on my relentless way
From here to there, hither and yon, through each and ev’ry day.

You might see me coming and, afraid of what might be,
Stand well off to the pathway’s side, on the periphery.
You’ll look away, or at the ground, fearing our eyes might meet,
Afraid you might be taken by the chaos in the street.

But some there are who challenge me and stare me in the face,
As if daring me to take them on, put them in their place.
And so I do, remorselessly, I rain a plague of woe
Upon their pitiful hubris---a maelstrom I bestow.

And none there are who are untouched when I have passed them by.
If you I spare, look heavenward, and breathe a grateful sigh
Of thanks to your uncaring gods for saving you the pain
My anarchy and bedlam bring, such misery and bane. 

But those I strike with pestilence fall down, and wail and moan
About the pandemonium they have to face alone.
For them, I feel no mercy, guilt, or culpability,
Because, in all their arrogance, they dare to defy me.

Yes, chaos is a friend of mine, a boon companion who,
Unfettered, tours mean streets with me, forever seeking you,  
In order that we might disrupt your smugness and your pride.
And you will soon discover that there is nowhere to hide.

So, buckle it up and carry on, you complacent folk,
Assured that you are safe, that life is not a cruel joke.
For someday, you’ll encounter me, not by your own design,
And then you will surely know---chaos is a friend of mine.

_{© J. Bradley Burt 2023}