There Is A Slippery Slope

That starts with the slightest loss of feeling
and feels at first like a painless absence,
until it finds it's voice in mild disbelief
at what surrounds it, that passes as normality.

From there to the cynicism that gently poisons
all we do and think is truly a short journey.
The spring of sarcasm that we speak from,
after that, becomes both our source of hope
and the shared acceptance of our despair, 
where however we try to clear the air
our disbelief in each other still lingers.

If you don't recognise this process,
because you know the distance
you keep, to keep yourself immune
from the emptiness of other people's
loss of belief then be aware;
immunity is the problem.