Twin Saboteurs

The twin saboteurs,
Resignation and despair,
Team up to conquer
Our will to carry on.
They are the great
Fortune tellers of defeat,
Mouthing off the hopelessness
Of our cause.
They are the product
Of a deep cynicism
That ridicules our enthusiasm,
Steadfastly holding
Any effort to win
In utter contempt.
They are a fatalistic acceptance
Of a world
That can not be changed,
Or worse yet,
One that is lined up
Against us.
We have seen those two
Reflected in
The dull gray stare
Of the listless eyes
Of those who have
Given up hope,
And we must be vigilant
That they are not
The eyes we see
Looking back at us
When it is our turn
To look in the mirror.