Category Archives: POLITICS

INTENT

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I thought the money in the bank was mine.

All mine. All mine. All mine. All mine.

I did not know I could not take it.

I lacked intent to commit the crime.

I had no intent to take what was not mine.

It is all mine. It is all mine. It is all mine.

As are you, and you, and you…

My people are the very best.

I am smarter than you,  not stupid,

if you believe only what I want you to.

I won. I won. I won. It’s true. It’s mine I say.

It’s all the same to those who hurt

and hate and fight against their fate,

hiding behind irreligious faith

to praise the savior of their own demise.

We won. We won. What is our prize ?

Pure intention to commit the crime

in plain sight, in plain view

in text, on tape, in interviews.

I won. I won. It’s mine, this crime

against the country, against me and you.

It isn’t a crime to take what is mine.

“I take whatever I want, and they let me”,

these people who are mine, all mine.

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FORECAST ON FOUR COUNTS

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It won’t be enough.

I am sure.

Inconvenient facts are such a bore.

Unless…

and this is just a guess…

you love our country more;

and loving

opens the closed door

upon considering 

what is in store

if justice is denied,

just to save your pride

and the story you tell to justify 

the twists and turns

of so many lies. 

One can only hope it is true

that we can count on you.

Your country needs you.

As do I

to keep the temperature down,

calm the storms,

and grow democracy

in rows just and orderly.

Freedom dies too easily

when weeds are allowed 

to grow un-fact-checked.

The forecast tells us

four counts must be enough.

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FIRE

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Who created fire

to cleanse all desire

too hot to handle

man’s desire

to rule in God’s place?

Bound by stones

of hardened hearts

contained fire warms the hearth

where love and safety glow

amidst the deepest dark.

Fire un-contained

destroys every tree

on hillsides, across plains;

sends smoke signals

beyond borders once claimed

by nations no longer constrained

in their wanton use of power

growing by the hour

which drains the very soul

of Earth’s sanctity and place

within the universe of grace.

Fire knows its place,

its power to cleanse

over-rated mankind’s 

history of disgrace.

Man’s invention? I think not.

We simply forgot

we only placed stones to hold its power,

and soon kicked them aside

to save our wounded pride.

History knows the place of fire.

It can hold what is too hot handle

across memory and time.

History turn to ash 

when we burn it to save the party line;

a line crossed by the fire of ire’s lies

burning too hot 

to save people and nations.

Hot enough to restore creation

before man destroyed

his only chance at participation?

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MY KNEES HURT

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My skin is now too thin.
it cracks on my feet and bleeds 

from pressure rising inside damaged knees,

throwing legs into a spin

and buckling under the strain

threatening falls again and again.

I hold on with tightened fists

gathered by my side, mislaid

and held in check, afraid

of striking out instead of balancing

against the forces dragging me down.

My body mimics my emotional gown

caught against my legs by autocratic winds

that bind my forward motion,

strangling reality and truthful notions,

knocking my legs out from under me,

demeaning my humanity

with white supremacy.

All I know is how hard it is to stand;

but, how necessary it is in order to outrun

the gerrymandering brigands

who would see democracy undone.

So, on my leg I place a brace

to hold my leg steady

while I rest upon the couch,

heal and make certain I am ready

when it is time to vote hate out.

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THE END OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

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Back to running the race barefoot

across dank and dirty streets

covered in the broken glass of misery

and dreams untold, unable to unfold

the promise of equality

between the shoeless forgotten humanity

and the well-shod, well-trained, well-fed

and well-funded runners 

placed feet ahead of the starting line.

The Supreme Court handles the gun

announcing the start of the run.

The race has always been fixed by race

to keep everyone in their place.

The lies continue to run free,

and destroy our dream of equality.

Turning back the race clock follows 

turning back the women’s clock

denying opportunity to overcome

the way the race has always been run.

We are in a race for our lives.

None of us should be surprised.

So, still I run. Still, I run.

Still, I run.

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HAIKU IN MY DEFENSE

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The lines were too long.

I was too busy to wait.

So, I robbed the bank.

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THE BURNING TRUTH

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The sky is filled with smoke.

It screens what must remain unseen,

composed of tiny particles of ash

from truth burned into trash.

It spreads on currents of hot air

spewed by media quoting politicians

and those wealthy with despair.

Their heated breath fills the air.

Unhealthy fears create their positions

and policies meant to light the flames

which destroys forests, hills, and plains.

No truth is left to see.

Yet, still, truth chokes us mercilessly.

All that is left as we try to breathe free

are signs of drought and a dying democracy.

Like the phoenix, in truth we will rise 

through destructive smoke-filled skies, 

weeping tears which douse the flames.

While our nations may not seem the same,

They will be stronger, better, truer.

Their lies will be fewer.

We shall know the truth and it shall set us free.

That is the true heart of democracy.

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THE ART OF POLITICS

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Politics is performance art.

Parties pick performers to entertain

and blind us to our own innate disdain

for policies we would never entertain

if we stopped to look behind the star 

performer who’s task is to draw

our eyes from the sleight of hand

passing laws we cannot stand.

Laugh and smile at the star engaged

in fooling you in a laughing con

but also look at what goes on

behind the screen, behind the stage.

The Italian Comedians (ca. 1720) by National Gallery of Art is licensed under CC-CC0 1.0

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GROWING THE AMERICAN GARDEN

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The soil sits compact and firm,

steady and not easily moved 

in its congress with the rotation of the earth.

Nobel in its steadfastness

yet, it is unable to grow a single bloom.

A spade dug deep in its history invades

this too taut and fearfully dark space,

to expose the weeds to light with untidy grace,

disturbing the twisted roots below.

Then, those of us with seed to sow

can bend our bodies to the task

and make a garden grow.

The more diverse the seed, I say,

the happier the birds, butterflies and bees

all agog at the variety of shapes and colors

able to arise from earth disturbed and settled

around a multitude of possibilities

stodgy soil could never anticipate.

Tight-fisted earth formed under sun and shade

is made to shift and flow with uncertainty,

a new and better garden to create.

The season of change is upon us.

We must plant before it is too late.

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FOLLOW THE MONEY

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Daybreak of hearts

darkened  by fear

turned into hate

that evil may be done

in the name of protection

of women and children

pawns in the game

run by powerful men

weighed down by coin

until they can no longer run

toward the light.

So, follow the money

into darkest night

where faces are hidden

in places forbidden

to those with sight.

Coins dropped on the way

to the safe hidden away

by PACS and dark money

counted and stored before

paying the dues

for fake ads and fake news.

Follow the money.

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