It has always been
understood and too often
forgotten. Spring comes.
Category Archives: POETRY
BY THE WAYSIDE
Yesterday I fell
by the wayside
where hopelessness dwells.
The journey upward felt
like a forced retreat,
no longer a climb
on confident feet
to reach the summit
where love presides,
where ego lives above false pride.
Instead, the slope had become slippery
and I,
and I,
and I
fell to my knees
my hopes subsided.
There is no time for this
I have decided.
I may slip again
and all my hopes fail
but, I will stay on freedom’s trail.
The climb ahead
becomes more rugged.
And I become stronger
the longer
I climb.
And I,
And I,
and I
will always go up
where skies are blue,
to reach others
willing to climb
up
from the other side.
This I promise myself
and I promise you.
SPEAKING CREATION
What is now does not have to be.
Speaking up is an act of creation
in this a darkening and frightening nation.
Speaking out is creativity as life may be.
In this way we are always free
to see the world much differently
than when we are told to bend our knee.
It need never be what others see.
We can create our own reality.
The act of creation is the greatest act of love,
overcoming destruction from above.
Speaking out lifts not only voices;
but lifts unlimited possibilities and choices.
Those who try to close the gates
and scare us with threats of hate
to block us in and push us down
cannot handle creativity’s frown
upended when we discover
that we can create a world of lovers.
Speak up. Speak out. Speak so loud
creators join and form a crowd
that laughs in the face of hate and greed
and creates a new and loving creed.
Speaking out is an act of creation.
Speaking out will form a new nation
conceived in liberty
and dedicated to the proposition
that no one can force us to take their position.
Filed under POETRY
WE ARE NOT GREAT BRITAIN
The United Kingdom once was not
united
until its great power overcame a world
unprepared
for invasion
and domination.
Britannia ruled the world
once.
In some ways
it still does.
The power of its language
built upon diversity
and linguistic mergers
still rules the world.
The power of its ideals
from Runnymede
through Parliament
and Native American nations
created an American Ideal
which carries its very being
across every continent and sea.
America was once united
until it was not.
It struggled to become
what the western world dreamed.
It got close
until the powerfully wealthy screamed.
Diversity is not all it was meant to be
in The United States, as hate arose
to fill the gaps of middle class needs.
I could stand the loss
of global power by my country,
As Brits have done before me.
But, I cannot stand the loss
of democracy to fascism and greed.
Great Britain is still a great nation
which defended its democracy.
The USA accepted fallacy
as truth to sacrifice all
who would remain free.
It is not the loss of an election
which hurts; but, the defection
of citizens who once claimed
a nation proud and free.
We may never be free nor great again.
We are not another Great Britain.
EVERYTHING IS TOO SWEET
The tongue becomes numb
to raw truth’s reality
in America.
Filed under POETRY
PARTING WAYS
Duty.
Honor.
Country.
Fear.
Cowardice.
Submission.
The first three I claim
The last three I disdain.
No more need be said.
A national honor now dead.
Killed by those who fled
their duty to country,
a brilliant democracy.
I cannot shake the hand
of one unwilling to stand
by my side and claim
a nation fighting shame.
Pretense has no place
in a nation ruled by truth and grace.
Ignorance is no excuse for surprise
by those who choose to close their eyes
to crimes and fraud and hate
until it becomes too late
to grasp and seize and save
Duty,
Honor,
Country.
Parting ways.
UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATERS
Ugly Christmas sweater season has begun.
Americans seem to think it is fun
to dress themselves not in the season’s finest,
but in the ugliest sweater they can find
to celebrate together a sacred date
forgetting the solemnity of Advent’s long wait
to share with us a love divine.
Trees go up lit by flames to give us warning
that climate change may soon end
the faithful earth upon which life depends.
A cabinet full of ugly sweaters fills,
worn by those who think they are better
than faithful civil servants whose only goal
is to keep America safe and whole.
Executives dodging background checks
don the ugliest sweaters they can find
hoping to make a buck or two
off the game pitting us against each other,
me and you,
against all hope that we can survive
a very dangerous political ride.
The party which once celebrated
freedom and patriots’ pride
donned ugly sweaters when it realized
white control was on a slip and slide
with the rising hopes of women
and people of color’s growing pride.
The uglier the better the saying goes,
for Christmas sweaters worn by those
who forget the reason for a season,
forget the principles of a constitution,
forget the laws and regulations
which hold together a flawed nation
and allow democracy to thrive.
The time of ugly sweaters has arrived.
CIVILITY
Civility is not servility.
Civility ends when aggression begins.
Civility ends when sexism begins.
Civility ends when racism begins.
Civility has no place
when legislation threatens harm.
Civility has no place
when incitement threatens harm.
Civility has no place
when lawlessness threatens harm.
Civility has no place
when disinformation and lies threaten harm.
Servility cannot become an excuse for civility.
Are we to be lead by uncivil hate and greed?
And should we then be civil and agree to bend a knee?
Servility must never be mistaken for civility.
Civility must not become servility.
No bending knees before hate and greed.
No bending knees at the death of democracy.
No bending knees at any man above the law.
No bending knees at freedom’s last straw.
No servility for me.
I resist any suggestion to show civility
to those insisting upon my servility.
I AM CLEAR NOW
I no longer awaken thinking I had died during the night.
No more heavy weight in my chest dragging breath down.
No more lead-bottomed stomach trying to turn fear over.
No more panic tightening limbs positioned to run.
No more thinking thoughts unable to connect.
I am clear now.
Righteous anger replaces my new-found ability to hate.
Courage courses through veins relieved of pain.
Love for others suffering alongside me on common ground abounds.
A coalition of resistance finds strengthened legs and spine.
Brains calm and stay alert and plan how to go up and not down.
I am clear now.
I see the game to disarm and disarray all opposition.
I see the realization victory by evil forces always subsides.
I see the ability of good hearts to speed the failure along.
I see creativity lead ideas ahead, instead of repeating past retreats.
I am clear now.
Here.
Now.
Let me show you.
Together.
We can move mountains
of greed and fear and doubt.
I am clear now.
POST-ELECTION 2024
My sorrow does not come
from the loss of an election.
Sorrow bubbles up and pulls down
faith and hope and trust in
legal and constitutional protection
for the progressive direction
we moved, pushing hate aside,
within the blue bubble
where I reside,
within a gerrymandered state
full of Christo-fascist pride.
Court protection is now
too often set aside.
Criminal leaders with immunity
can now act with impunity
to destroy an entire nation,
indeed a free world.
Greed acts with such speed
to push grace and care aside.
And truth is destroyed
by incessantly repeated lies.
My sorrow does not come
from watching my nation die.
It comes from watching
fellow citizens kill my beloved nation
Right before my eyes.
And the worst part of it all is,
that it is not a surprise.
I have watched a predator party
stalk us creatures of democracy
my whole life.
The day I most feared
is no longer just a nightmare.
It is the reality of imminent strife.
I cannot simply smile and reach out,
asked to shake hands with voters
with blood on their hands,
when I want to shout “traitors!”
I think of all who died to protect
and defend my country, my best friend,
I cannot stand to watch cruelty up-end
a nation now at-sea, afloat on lies
that all is at is has always been
after an election.
The desperation of a nation
tears at the soul within.
The soul of each and every American,
until America is dead and buried,
so that rich oligarchs can feed
their need for power and control.
Citizens United has long been on a roll
to knock down all opposition,
and watch weak Americans fold
their cards and lose their last hand.
Such sorrow, I fully understand.
annarino writes 