An unexpected meteorite falls out of the sky
And assails a town in Russia. Consternation!
“They” should track these things. Warn us.
Make predictions. Money should be spent! Is no one safe?
Thus a group of bored astronomers will study the detritus
Of the heavens for two hundred years,
Only to see a lone asteroid fall harmlessly into
The Indian Ocean.

No, neither fortune, blind chance, nor earthquake,
Typhoon or accident should cause us fear.
For we have no control over such things.
They are not person-specific, just misfortunes,
And these we cannot effect or contain.
Palmists and soothsayers can take guesses,
But no one can predict the future.
And your chances of consumption by
Lion or hyena are slight.

No, the threats come from humans
Living with you, cheek by jowl, mostly unknown to you.
The obscenity of loaded guns on city streets.
The crazy person seeking revenge for some imagined ill.
The drunken driver; the knock on the door at night.
Mysterious phone calls; the hacking of credit card accounts.
Gangs of sneering youths, rabble rousers, bully-boys.
Theft by burglars and unaccountable corporations.
Mugging, casual violence, conflicts with neighbors.
Unemployment; dense thickets of bureaucracy.
Public and private corruption; breakdowns and divorce.

The list is long, but you are not alone.