Apocalypse When......

Human beings have written apocalyptic myths
from the later period of The Old Testament
to far into the times of The Roman Empire.

And always these writings get refreshed
by modern readers who replace the targets
the myths were once aimed at, now forgotten,
for people who are alive as they write
-people who the writers think worthy
of renewed and damning accusations.

But there surely come a point
where even fears are prone to doubt;
the old fears no longer have the energy
to sustain themselves as part of human life.

What happens when what was once
'a deep reading' of an apocalyptic text
integral to belief for one generation
loses all it's cogency for the next?

Does the text become
just a play thing,
an entertaining surface read?
How long can the fear
of end of the world
survive human indifference?