We were the shepherds and sheepdogs
who tried to keep the wolves from the sheep
but the sheep we'd tried to awaken
took far too much pride in being wide asleep.

We were the thoughtful ever-watchful shepherds
who were cruelly abused for our selfless efforts
to warn the unwary smugly-unaware sorts
of the terrible perils of yielding to evil
by blindly complying with a diabolic force

that had recently increasingly poured forth
from the smothering swarm of incurably corrupt
orgs and organs that formed the vicious system
the flocks were taught to incuriously trust
from their first day in class to their last day alive;

that formed the despicable system
that had finally hit its highly-malignant stride
in the booming all-consuming business
of assiduously spreading the latest big lies.

We were the widely wildly-despised
shepherds who were openly spat and shat on
for trying to lead the sheep towards the light;
for trying to sever the threads of a web
of darkest deceit in this darkest of nights

as half-caged we raged
raged against the dying of what's right
fully engaged in a life-and-death fight
with a supremely malevolent spell.

We were the shepherds who caught a clear sight
of the devil's grand plans for a well-managed hell;
shepherds whose warnings were firmly ignored
as sure as flooding rivers ignore their own banks.

We were the shepherds whose only thanks
was “Thanks but no bloody thanks!”
“Shut your damn trap!” and “Keep your facts
to your damned daft self and your fellow cranks!”.

We were the sheepdogs and shepherds
who were decried for our tireless efforts
to reach those we'd so desperately hoped
would heed our pressing message.