The voices are too loud out in the hall.
No one sitting solemnly inside
can understand the meaning of it all.
No matter how close one tries to listen
the cacophony distorts all meaning
of words angrily shouted, until tears glisten
feeling the hatred and monstrosity
which keeps all ears and hearts enthralled.
Thrills and chills sell as well as bloody gore.
“If it bleeds it leads” is a phenomenon
we know too well.
Shouters point a finger and shout some more.
Such behavior always draws a crowd.
Once they have your attention
the “soft-sell” begins the con in whispers.
And while they have your keen attention,
hanging on every word they mention
in the twisted story, repeated over and over,
using religion and love as a cover
to bring us to our knees to beg forgiveness,
they try to manacle our minds and tongues
if successful. If not, our hands and feet
in courtrooms, jail cells and on the streets.
Once all this is done, the coup is complete.
The Bill of Rights becomes an empty promise,
a useless piece of paper torn asunder,
while disingenuous voices thunder
in all the halls, in every building, across the nation.
It is when the voices stop we shall finally hear
that democracy has been lost, as we all feared.
annarino writes 