Leaving the hive

I'm losing my capacity to care.
This change is welcome. I'm no longer ailed
By someone's loud mouth or their glare.
I used to argue but that too has failed
Against the minds that are forever closed,
The minds that could be bright but which, instead,
Are stuck in mediocrity - opposed
To new ideas, and their lives are led
From step to step, with little in between,
So pacified by sweeteners and drugs
They care for some dead singer, for a queen
And flee reality - with all their witty mugs,
Their rubber wristbands showing they support
Some noble cause - whichever is the fad;
When ego-boosting turns into a sport,
Where everyone's a champion, and yet
Behind those shiny, artificial smiles
They hide their insecurities and fears
And the charade goes on. The latest styles
Are strictly followed, so they pierce their ears,
Get tribal symbols inked into their skin,
And seek new methods to indulge the flesh,
Neglecting to improve the mind within.
In such a world, where my ideals clash
With brave new standards of this way of life,
I'm giving up. I quit. I care no more.
Feel free to keep on buzzing in your hive
While I am off to study and explore.