A sinister pair

Gilded self-righteousness, frosted with freedom
Licks the rim of tolerance with slow, deliberate force.
Poison seeps into the shallow cup, acute toxin
Tightly wound with aggression, 
And the gloss wears thin.

This core, acidic, enduring,
Is soft in the hollowed space inside.
The kernel is fear, fear of falling, of failing,
Fear of not becoming, fear of dread.

This sinister pair, an undisclosed driver
Embedded in scattering zeal, 
Scrapes off compassion like day old dirt.