When did morals change to this?
enjoyment in the bully’s bliss
to feel compassion is for fools
When being strong is being cruel
Reward the rapist with your kiss
enjoy their torture and their diss
your pleasure is the ruler’s tool
When being strong is being cruel
Disgrace the few, who dare oppose
and cheer the flock. the sheep, the cows
we lead to slaughter as we drool
When being strong is being cruel
We follow blindly cease to think
as kindness is selective, it’s the link
between the chief and us, the rule:
When being strong is being cruel.
Today we are writing laments with Grace at dVerse, and I thought it would be appropriate to reflect a little about cruelty after reading an article on Nietsche and cruelty and reflecting how short the history of disdain of cruely actually is. Public exections and humilation of corpses was popular spectacles, at the moment cruelty is done more with words.
March. 13, 2025
Björn Rudbergs writings 
That first line..a real pukller..this is the verse (or the theme) I would have liked to emulate, but gave up as I found it just to challenging and retreated back to lost love. But this is the form of poetry I want to evolve with – speaking for social justice, informative, engaging. Cruelty, yes…..
I found that starting with the last line in each stanza gave the whole poem.
Likewise, I did the same.
Love the rhyme, and the recall, as well as the message. Well done sir.
Thank you so much… enjoyed doing it.
We human beings are just awful. What a dismal thought!
We are… that is why we need the social construct of not being cruel not to behave at our worst.
This poem works for a certain ignoramus wannabe emperor. What an accurate line: “When being strong is being cruel.”
This is exactly what Nietsche wrote, and it has had dire consequences since.
I call upon you to show your empathy and take this pair, Monarch & Jester, off our hands.
😉
You have to do the job of that sir.
Sigh. So much damage done already.
Well done 👍🏼
Thank you
You’re welcome
That third stanza really hits me Bjorn. Love the refrain, and though it was relevant before, it is also timely in today’s politics. Now the world is upside down, I guess.
Or it may be back to what it always has been….
You took this form and flew with it, Björn! And not a particle of the sentiments do I disagree with.
I do not agree with the sentiments either
Hard to know what to say accept too accurate 😦
It is the new order I think
Disgrace the few, who dare oppose
and cheer the flock. the sheep, the cows
we lead to slaughter as we drool
When being strong is being cruel
Poignant poem for the day, and this verse particularly so.
I see so much today that makes me sick
It is sad time where abuse and cruelty deprive the most vulnerable of opportunity to improve their lot.
I find it too hard to accept.
Not only have you smashed the form, Björn, you’ve summed up the current atmosphere in the White House in your cruelty is strength poem, and reinforced it with the repeated line. The way things are going with the self-proclaimed orange king of the world, we may yet see a revival of public executions and humiliation of corpses.
I think the way it is implemented through cruelty is the worst…. I am just waiting for people to cheer at people committing suicide…
I believe it has happened on-line.
Hits hard!! Beautifully expressed.
It is hard….
Björn, your poem packs such a punch. The relentless rhythm and dark theme drive home the cruelty of power and blind obedience. 💥
*sigh*
~David
yes… there are so many thinking this way these days
😟 😟 😟
The first line of the second stanza really shows how the world really is. It’s unfortunate that we live in this cruel environment with predators lurking in every hiding spot just to jump out when you least expect it. Your poem is so vivid & evocative. It’s amazing! Have a good day!
BBB
That line stood out to me too. Stockholm Syndrome.
Trump and Elon are an easy target as they are flaunting this behaviour out in the open. I find that little bit of honesty bitterly refreshing. I believe it was all happening before but hidden away which, in my eyes, is worse.
Strength with no moral courage is cruel and Trumpean.
Amen, Bjorn…you hit the nail on the head..JIM
really, really well done! bravo.
Wonderfully written Björn.
A great poem though a sad indictment of our race Björn and you killed the poetic form…
Perfect poem for our current times, Bjorn!
Yvette M Calleiro 🙂
http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com
Great poem, and refrain. Sad to say it fits our times.