Agreement

Pity there’s no way to say
Exactly what way of life,
Which society, which place

Would be the best to be in
Or, better yet, which the best
Way of life within the range

Of human capacity.
Everyone has their notions,
And there is some overlap

Among morals and ideals,
But there’s no real confidence
This whole sad species could share

As to the best direction
To aim coordination.
Teamwork remains emergent

From individual need
And greed, and what’s systemic
Has a typical pattern

Of working well for a few,
Fairly well for quite a few,
Cannibalizing the rest,

Enduring by inertia
Until some other system
Takes over to do the same.

Maybe knowing wouldn’t help.
Maybe knowing never helps.
But agreement might not hurt.