Commonsense

 

 

Good sense and gumption

Reasonableness and judgment

Horse sense and mother wit

Sagacity and discernment

 

Commonsense is basic sense

As in the case of a horse

So that a human being without it

Is an indication he/she is lost.

 

To sink below a horse

In the manner of our reasoning

Is a very dangerous proposition

That is quite disheartening.

 

The fact of its very name

Indicates it should be common

But here it gets most interesting,

It is sadly lacking quite often.

 

Due to stark shortsightedness

It was contrasted with education

But education without commonsense

Is lacking information.

 

In commonsense is education

And education in commonsense

And to separate the two of them

Should be an unlawful offense.

 

Commonsense is now outlawed

And replaced with a pseudo education,

An education that only makes sense

To those with a warped imagination.

 

You may think that I am going mad

Given the argument that I bring

But it seems there is a competition

 

For thinking up the most stupid thing.  

Education is about progress

It is about using our commonsense

But the direction in which it is going

Is absolute nonsense.

 

Which says it is not education

But a horrible lack of commonsense

And so-called educated people

Are rushing to its defense.

 

Commonsense and education

Walk hand in hand always

And if what we do does not improve life

Then the two have parted ways.

 

I am tempted to be specific

But I am urging you on to think

Of the many so-called bright people

Who are leading us to the brink!

 

Commonsense is becoming extinct

And nonsense is taking its place,

Many line at stupidity starting point

To compete in the nonsense race.

 

It’s like the advent of virtual reality

Is of far more significance that the real

And what has been long established

Is now becoming quite stale.

 

Let us accommodate everyone

Regardless of what he/she believes,

And though it be void of commonsense

Let us embrace its appeal.

 

 

It’s like fake news and the factual

Both of these are publicizing the truth,

And what is tremendously amazing…

Both supply undeniable proof.

 

You can now have an exact copy

Of what a person did not say,

Word for word and comma for comma

That’s the new commonsense way.

 

My commonsense is not yours

And your commonsense is not mine,

But both of them are commonsense

Though commonsense of a different kind.

 

We have commonsense that is madness

And commonsense that is not common,

It is high time we define the term

To include the ridiculous and the wanton.

 

Then commonsense would be anything

That the weirdest weirdo would do:

In which case the only commonality would be

It has to be somebody's view.

 

Stewart Russell © October 2019