Everything Is Under Control
A satirical repeating-line poem where reassurance slowly unravels into institutional absurdity and quiet collapse
Everything is under control.
The city says it on billboards now,
in fonts designed to feel like trust,
next to advertisements for calm breathing apps
and emergency preparedness kits.
Everything is under control.
My neighbor repeats it while moving out,
carefully labeling boxes like “future stability”
and “definitely not panic,”
as if naming things correctly
prevents them from changing shape.
The government says it during the broadcast
where the signal keeps flickering
into something that looks like weather
but behaves like apology.
Everything is under control.
I hear it in elevators that stop between floors
and refuse to explain themselves.
I hear it in customer service lines
that place me on hold
for a conversation I never started.
The phrase becomes louder.
Not clearer.
Everything is under control.
At the supermarket, the bananas are all identical now.
No one remembers if they were always identical.
The cashier smiles too long
and calls me “valued participant”
instead of customer.
Everything is under control.
A man on the street distributes flyers
that say DO NOT WORRY
printed on both sides
in case doubt tries to escape.
Everything is under control.
My phone updates itself
without asking permission
and changes the word “error” to “progress.”
I stop correcting it.
Everything is under control.
At night, the news anchors blink in perfect sequence,
like rehearsed honesty.
They reassure us gently
that uncertainty has been resolved
into something more efficient.
Everything is under control.
I begin to notice
that the phrase no longer feels reassuring
but procedural—
like something said after control has already left.
Everything is under control.
Even silence starts repeating it now,
though not always in the right order.
Sometimes it says:
Everything is under control.
Sometimes it forgets the last word.
Everything is under control.
And sometimes—just briefly—
it doesn’t say anything at all
and we all understand
that this version might be the most accurate one.
About the Creator
Algieba
Curious observer of the world, exploring the latest ideas, trends, and stories that shape our lives. A thoughtful writer who seeks to make sense of complex topics and share insights that inform, inspire, and engage readers.
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