you can

if you close your eyes real tight, and squeeze them closed, you can

imagine a world where the cost of labor is favored over the cost of a future
where words on a paper are priceless, glimmering nuggets of precious gold 
and to others, useless, too pathetic to even bother looking at 
imagine a world where democracy is but a monarchy in disguise 
and is only masking a king without a crown 
imagine a world where birth is proclamimed with a death sentence 
on either end 
imagine a world where the price of clean air is one you cannot pay 
so you trade it for the price of a coffin 
imagine a world where instead of consuming technology 
technology consumes you 
imagine a world where you are judged by your color 
rather than colors
imagine a world where a society ignorantly believes
knowledge translates into wisdom 
and being human means being humane 
imagine a world where you no longer see your child's face in formal school photos
but instead, a faded image on the back of a milk cartoon,
tossed into an overflowing pile of cafeteria garbage 
imagine a world where there is no difference between a broken, crumpled coffee cup
and youth
because they both are wasted, and eventually thrown away
imagine a world where truth has more than one version 
but none can be trusted 
imagine a world where your life is a string, fraying at its edges
and you don't know when it may snap
imagine a world where you savor the possibilities of the future
becuase you don't want to focus on the reality of the present 
imagine a world where parent tell their bright eyed, eager children that world peace isn't something santa can bring 
write something materialistic instead 
imagine a world where people shoot people, children shoot children 
and all parties end up dead
imagine a world where people donate to charity 
in hopes it will erase their other sins 
imagine a world where future foundations aren't built
but rather existing ones are torn down
imagine a world where some appreciate scraps 
and other can't even savor bountiful feasts 
if you close your eyes real tight and squeeze them closed, you can 
imagine a world in which all of this was possible 

but only if you unclench them, and open those eyes
will you see it come to life