uncommon decency in poetry

if you find people berating you to be
a decent human being within mixed company
it’s not “political correctness gone wild”
it’s not “don’t be a sensitive child”
it’s not “social justice run amok”
it’s not “aren’t these millennial snowflakes fucked”
that’s you being an asshole while
thinking that being an indecent shit is okay
because you’re an asshole every single day
but you’re wrong

I mean to say
it’s not wrong to say you’re an asshole
rather it’s wrong to say
that that’s okay

don’t be afraid of decency
don’t be afraid of being decent
decency is not the enemy of your or anyone’s freedom
even if you feel it chafes at your most selfish impulses
anyway, just ignore those impulsive seasons
even for slightly selfish reasons
they’ll screw you over if you believe ‘em
shared decency is the underpinning
of all the real freedoms

compassion is a psychic virus
carry it from island to island
be the deer tick that brings down
those dread beasts Greed and Hate
it’s not just about being an activist
it’s also down to the granular facts of it
be a decent human being
before it’s too late

I mean to say
it’s not wrong to say you’re an asshole
rather it’s wrong to say
that that’s okay