Louise Annarino, 2022, acrylic on canvass
I circle each thought lost
inside out amidst
newscasts and social media
circling wagons to create stories
of fearful need to protect
the weakening interior of America
which knows not
an independent thought.
Which instead seeks death
and destruction of a nation’s
Constitutional protections.
No circles required with facts and reason.
Running in circles means running amok.
I watch the circles expand and contract,
circle one another forward and back.
I get dizzy with disgust as stories go round
and roll down hills that are fake
without any brakes. But, who cares?
Circles of bouncing balls under our feet
keep us off-balance, distracted,
our fears discouragingly protracted.
Where can we rest amid such rolling displays
of ignorance and false flags?
How can we escape from the circles of lies?
How can we find solid surface and stand
safe and secure in this most-beloved land?
Who will tell stories that are straight and flat?
We need much more of that.
Instead, we let the bleed lead a sexier tale,
circling like water down the drain.
We are sucked into circles of muck and disdain
so deep there is no easy escape.
The circle we live on is now on fire,
circling our sun among other stars.
Circles of life persists despite
our circular thinking and culture war.
Toss the circular balls to our children.
Let them play with balls in the air
tossing around new ideas.
Walk slowly until the surface is clear.
annarino writes 