Post-truth 2016 A year of untruth and deceit A spiral of division and pain When were these seeds of anger sown What mired our values in such disdain New world disorder may emerge Dimming our enlightened age Bringing grist to the bigots’ mill Fueling their hate-filled rage Propaganda machines well oiled Charming smiles and populist appeal But scratch below their smooth veneer Their dark underbelly is soon revealed Uninformed attacks on enshrined law Their leaders know not restraint or tact A black swan moment, our world upturned Persuasion trumps established fact