This Is the Baseline
by Michael Doyle

This
     This is the baseline
Missed
     The punchline that was a sign
That 
     That showed us the world
As 
     Every dream was found fetal and curled

Most stages of consciousness
Are degrees of insanity
Mirrored images of pretentiousness
Held to the light with vanity

The system plays the error
That reveals what's underneath
It couldn't be any clearer
Then to measure what's bequeathed

Passed down by generation
The half-truths painted in veneration
One bullet that we can't outrun
Pull the trigger, and it's done

This
   This is the baseline
Missed
    The punchline that was a sign
That 
    That showed us the world
As 
    Every dream was found fetal and curled

Extractions of memory recreated
Patterns otherwise situated
The system has lost all control
In which there is a faithful soul

Pressed into flesh, seeking what is real
Fidelity is the primary drive of think and feel
The stories behind our failed decisions
All the mistakes played out without precision

There are moments of definition
The skip past the memory's recognition
We hit the bottom, learning to hold our breath
We live the struggle, or we find death

(c) October 12, 2022  Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved