I lifted the blind, closed against the heavy weight of darkness.
But, the darkness lingers still in a world where the ability to see
has become transactional instead of factual.
It is all about the money, we now see.
Truth is no longer able to set us free.
The heavy weight of lies shackles and chains us
and keeps us in our place, where lack of opportunity
now extends beyond those once enslaved.
Too many blindly bow to the oligarchs who stole a nation’s wealth
and put the blame not on themselves, but on everyone else.
It is the people of color, women and homosexuals;
the immigrant and refugee, asylum seekers, librarians,
historians, veterans, unions and universities…
the truth-tellers the upper 1 percent would hide
to save their greedy selves, and tame their shame
behind a white Christian nationalism’s false pride.
Resentment has been nurtured over decades of time,
hardened into stone and fossilized, with guns loaded and primed.
Do not shoot the messengers who only try to lift the blind
and tell the truth you need to hear, about those who put you in this bind.
The sun shouts in voices of students and grandmothers,
unionists and progressives who only want to remind
the leaders still in place, but powerless as institutions crumble,
that we the people will never give up the freedoms so hard-won.
We will not allow the tyranny of the greedy few to rule
over the nation and world we love, never over me and you.
Have we become what we fear most ? A nation of cowards and bullies?
Are we strong enough to lift the blinds and see the truth, finally?
Are we asleep at the post, we guardians of freedom’s hope?
Has greed brought us all to our knees before those who wield wealth
as a cudgel, a chain saw and a weed whacker
to root out those who seek equal opportunity to build wealth, and be free?
Are we willing to worship the new gods of control, corruption and greed?
It is always about the money; transactional, not factual; selfish, not loving.
Has our beloved community and country been brought to its knees?
Is our ability to love now simply and blindly transactional?
Is no one left to hear our heartfelt, truthful pleas?
annarino writes 