Beware TYCU!*

(*Things You Can’t Unsee)

by Christopher Kent

In my many years of life, I’ve heard much good advice,

Like “Never stare right at the sun;” and “Cut once, measure twice.”

But now we have some fresh concerns, regarding how we do things;

The perils of our lives today include some scary new things.

Lately, sights are commonplace that once were on the fringe—

Sights that make most people gasp, or choke, or gulp, or cringe.

And so I offer this advice to friends both old and new:

As you go through daily life, beware! Beware TYCU!

So what is this TYCU, you ask? What does it mean to me?

It’s an abbreviation for the Things You Can’t Unsee.

Our world’s now full of images of things both cruel and gross;

(A visual’s much worse than words, no matter how verbose).

The sad thing is that once we’ve gazed upon some horrid sight

It sticks inside our memory and pops up day and night.

And nowadays it’s getting ever harder to avoid it;

One minute you have peace of mind; the next one, they’ve destroyed it.

The list of nasty things we may encounter’s nearly endless

(I won’t go down the list—I do not want to end up friendless!)

They pop up on the Internet, in movies, on TV

Just when you least expect it—there’s a Thing You Can’t Unsee.

The people who create these sights defend them from the start

They claim “it’s just reality.” (Sometimes they call it art.)

They say there’s nothing wrong with showing cruelty, hate or blood

But people slowly grow more numb when overwhelmed with crud.

We humans have potential, but that journey’s still unfinished;

When someone shows us at our worst and you see it, you’re diminished.

Perhaps it is our fate, given the times in which we live;

But I prefer to think we all have better gifts to give.

In fact, it’s a depressing game, but there’s no need to play;

When Things You Can’t Unsee show up, just turn and walk away.

So be selective, my dear friends; choose wisely what you view.

For restful sleep and peace of mind, beware! Beware TYCU!

Copyright 2015 by Christopher Kent. All rights reserved.