Lord, save us from the psychologists,
and puppet masters --
manipulators,
self-appointed life coaches,
sneaky behind-your-back operatives,
who claim your mind as their playground.
Inventing games of subtle coercion,
enlisting hoards in conspiration
to force all pieces of the puzzle
into the picture they want to see –
without ever considering
interference
will only destroy what you’re trying to build,
because what you work for is not important
to them.
A gossip says you need adjusting –
and that’s all the license they need to spy and to stalk,
to traffic in rumors and conclusions based
on scraps they’ve gleaned
from false friends and family
who have agendas of their own,
their true motives never questioned,
their greed never made known.
They cobble-up scripts, recruit players for parts,
spring little dramas on you
in one ambush after another,
until every social setting is another threat,
and you second guess every move,
wondering what will be the set-up this time?
Wondering if you’ll ever be allowed
to be simply one of the crowd.
Wondering if it’s even worth it
to attend.
They force to you “open up,” go public,
believe desire for privacy abnormal,
and “sharing” is therapeutic.
They invite prying eyes in,
handing keys to the thieves,
not concerned by your distress
that your privacy’s been invaded again,
again, and again, and again, and again.
Certain they know everything,
wallowing in the belief
they’ve outlined every nuance of your soul
and understand all reasons for all your actions,
they seize an image and shove it in your face
again again again again again again again again again
until they’ve created full-blown phobias.
The truth is, they don’t know s***.
Certain they can only do good,
the manipulative wizards team up like dogs
trying to herd a clump of stupid wool
into a pasture they’ve picked out.
Exhilarated by the challenge,
proud of a job well done,
they lounge grinning in the sun, panting,
listening to their own voices say Good Dog
after they’ve destroyed the rest of your day,
after they’ve driven you into depression,
made you crash again again again
against the walls they’ve built,
prevented you from accomplishing
what you need to do.
And all they’ve truthfully accomplished
is obstruction of honest communication
(because that terrifies them
above all else, robs them of control,
would require the charlatans to step out
from behind the curtain, to confess
what they’ve done.)
Maybe we should help
all the psychologists and the puppet-masters,
all the jump-on-the bandwagon
flash mob bullies,
all the know-it-all do-gooders
who once read an article in
“Let Psychology Tyrannize the World Today.”
Let’s help them overcome their compulsion
to manipulate; give them all little signs
they can paste to their mirrors,
so every morning the message drills in:
“Attempted Brainwashing is Unconstitutional.
Make someone happy. Mind your own f****** business.”