Ignorance is bliss.
Something we’ve all been told before.
A lie?
A truth?
Only the listener can decide.
But as my phone explodes with
Breaking news,
And the TV plays re-runs
Of the same story,
I wonder
How can anyone remain ignorant
When truth is thrown at us
Like a blanket yanked off a sleeping child
Hard, and fast?
Does ignorance bring happiness?
Maybe it soothes,
Like a baby with its binky.
But comfort doesn’t last.
Eventually, it crumbles
Like the Twin Towers on that forsaken day.
Loud.
Shaking.
Awakening.
Even the ones who once turned their heads
Can’t ignore the smoke forever.
If I could choose to be ignorant,
Even just for a day
To relieve myself of the chains
Tight around my heart,
To silence the elephants
Trumpeting in my head
I wouldn’t.
It wouldn’t be fair to those
Who never had the privilege
Of looking the other way,
Just because they are
Brown.
Trans.
Gay.
Jewish.
Palestinian.
Poor.
Different.
They didn’t choose this life.
They didn’t choose this pain.
So why is it fair
For him
To ignore
The eagle falling from the sky,
The world unraveling
While he stays silent?Ignorance is not bliss.
It’s betrayal.
A quiet war against
Our fellow human beings.
Author’s Note:
A Silent War Against Humanity is where I write about the systems we’re told not to question. It’s my response to injustice that hides in plain sight—policies, politics, and silence that harm real people. These pieces come from frustration, from hope, and from a refusal to stay quiet
Natalie Pena | 17 | Seattle, WA | @typed.at12am on Instagram
