In A Time of Flux
by Michael Doyle

Theory and practice belong together
If international relations are to be better
These are pivotal times to see
Filled with dread and promise for you and me

Those who talked of an end to history
Were blinded to the political mystery
Dynamics, order, and balance are power
This is clear in every hour

When World War II ended
The United Nations attempted to bring nations friended
But the carving at Yalta had its concerns
From the present perspective, it's easier to discern

Today is not the time for blind-eyed idealism
Democratic nations have seen greater optimism
The world has become multipolar in alternative
Russia's attacks on its neighbors offer a perspective

The tripod of the elements of national sovereignty
Has ended with the violation of Ukraine's integrity
A power vacuum  has come into existence
And it claws at the world with great persistence

Spheres of interest have come to divide
The world again, and we must now decide
Value spaces must come to take their place
To preserve Western ways with their trace

Western Civilization must, indeed, prevail
With the rule of law or the world goes to the Hell
Of conflict that will steadily spread across
And the world will come to its great loss

We are in a time of flux and of full change
As we experience the world rearrange
It is a decade of coming renegotiation
When we will feel a conversation between nations

If we yield to tyrants in their unrelenting aggression
We will enter into a world of ruthless regression
Velvet gloves are no way to counter savage brutality
It takes strength to defend rightful sovereignty 

Let me say simply in an easy declarative
That we are in a defining time of our narrative
We stand together and for the rule of law
Or our failure will threaten us all

(c) March 31, 2025   Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved