Do Better.

In the 80’s
Our dads, cheek pressed to ours,
showed off his newborn for the camera
while cigarette smoke curled around
his overgrown mustache and into his baby’s eyes.

Now we know better.

In the 90’s
we used dozens of syllables to justify
the uninvited advances
of our overly excited colleagues
when “assault” would have done just fine.

Now we know better.

On the eve of 2000
we all held our breath,
divided in our belief of whether
the world as we knew it was about to end
when the clock reset to double 0.

Now we know better.

And now, we watch the oceans rise,
icebergs replaced by fatbergs.
We live through droughts and poison our water,
expecting Earth to heal herself.

As our angel laureate once said,
Do the best you can until you know better.
Then when you know better, do better.

So, what’s our excuse?