They Told You It Was a Hoax

Why trust scientists? they asked.

It’s no big deal. These things happen

All the time.

It’s all hysteria, they said.

A liberal hoax.

You tried to tell them they had

Complacency bias and baseline syndrome,

But the fact that you were right meant they

Wouldn’t listen.

Something as small as a virus, even smaller, a carbon atom,

Could change the world, you told them, forever.

They looked at you funny.

Sometimes by the time a danger is obvious,

It’s too late to avoid it, you told them.

They shook their heads and

Kept watching

Fox News.

I’m sorry, Reality.

You tried.

— Brian D. McLaren