Tag Archives: journalism

AMERICAN RENAISSANCE

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The dark ages were not dark everywhere.

Light shown to the East, the South, and the West

while Europe cloaked itself in dark days;

as The United States of America does now.

Even camera crews have turned off light and sound.

And evil men and women try to rebound

by creating their own clown-faced muse

with his crypto, coins, twitter, and TV news.

These wanna-be strong-men turn away from the Light of Truth

forsake the Bill of Rights’ light once so very bright

with promise by all, for all, and to do all things right.

We watch all systems fail across airports,

roads, water plants, farm fields, schools and hospitals

and death becomes unleashed by ICE men

playing false as con-men overrule the Rule of Law.

Their appointed judges enact The Rule of Flaw

This may be America’s final straw;

judges sitting in dark court rooms

unable to see what facts there be

so precedence can be overruled

and lights kept turned off, but not for all.

January 6 criminals, rapists, pedophiles, and fraudsters are free

to roam in darkness so deep we cannot see

that none of us is allowed to remain free.

None of us are safe from deportation

to an unknown country, or to our own private hell

here in our own homes, on our own streets,

within our universities and our own communities.

The lights seem to be growing dim

as Dark Ages descend again.

Artists can paint, sculpt and write in the dark.

They see more clearly what is, and imagine what can be.

Their imagery is lightened within dreams and memory.

A new Renaissance can overcome such darkness.

It did so once. It can, again.

There should be no return to the old days, but a rebirth

of those ideals sought enacted by people of Earth,

when our constitution, its amendments and Judicial Act

were put in placed to support a Bill of Rights

to overcome dark night and shine a brilliant Light

across an entire world. Peasant freedom unfurled. 

The work of artists is to bring forth light and right;

a Renaissance of love and peace, respect for all;

and, the courage to make things right.

Art and artists’ dreams dispel, like a liars’ tell,

 shining light in the depths of these dark nights.

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ACTIVISTS

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To catch the sunrise

it is necessary to open the blinds

while still in the dark;

in that fearful time and space

our earliest ancestors faced,

before fire made a place

where even in darkness

we feel safe.

Even now, we close our eyes,

awaiting a new sunrise;

one where bombs and hate

stop falling from the skies

in our streets and across our screens

until we quake and scream.

We cannot simply sit in the dark.

Its prospects are too stark;

all blunt, clean-edged lies 

that shadow every truth

which fear denies, 

finally laid bare,

once sunlight fills the air.

We must open the blinds

while skies and lies are yet dark.

We cannot miss the moment.

We must not be caught by surprise.

Be ready for the sunrise.

I wait in the dark and open the blinds.

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ELECTIONS

The tree must come down.

It’s stump must be ground.

Know this,though.

Its roots continue to grow.

The lines we rely upon

To stay safe and strong

Will remain under threat

If we rejoice and forget

The threat those roots make

If we do not stay awake.

The tree may be gone.

But the threat still goes on.

We can take down the tree.

But, stay by me.

We must stay alert and fight,

the tree’s shadows alight.

It takes time for roots to die.

It takes time for truth to replace a lie.

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BACKED UP SEWER

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No longer can we ignore life

which imitates art 

while art imitates life.

Each part imitates the whole

while the whole

is the sum of its parts.

When the parts break

the whole breaks apart.

The dark drain bears the burden

of  too many broken peaces

and pushes back against gravity;

releases the depravity

and frees the broken whole.

Cleaning crews appear to

remove the waste, fraud and abuse

of leadership run amok among the muck;

Now, so clearly broken, and out of luck.

Hot air blows around every media space

to dry the tears of such disgrace.

Sanitize all you will.

Pack the dirty remnants into opaque bags,

redacted files hidden under seal,

and hide the crimes away.

The sewer can only handle so much

of the dirty secrets we are afraid to touch.

Truth always come to light

when the drain is filled too tight.

Ignoring the dirt contaminates us all,

as we watch the walls of a nation fall.

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ESSAY ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

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In 1965 my best girlfriends and I (each of us avid readers) took a speed-reading course at the local YMCA. By the end of that course I could read page in seconds, not minutes. And we could not increase speed to a higher level, unless we reached 100% accuracy. This was perhaps the finest educational tool I ever used. Throughout life I have been able to ingest information rapidly and accurately. All because of those weeks of study outside a classroom. 

In today’s fast-moving communication era, that skill keeps me informed. Otherwise, it might be overwhelming to even try to stay informed. I might be tempted to turn off the flow of information and just “go about my business.” It can be necessary to emotional health to live in denial. But, it does little good for those in need of our attention, our support, our love. It undermines the concept which is the basis of any democratic republic – the common good. Checking back in is necessary to the common good.

Thus, I suggest, temporary, not permanent inattention. Most of you have discovered this tactic on your own. I guess I am writing this today in response to numerous comments I often hear: She cannot read all this stuff. She cannot find all this information. She must make this stuff up. She could not possibly have read all this. etc. etc. Well, I do read all this stuff! I just speed-read it. 

I do not know if such courses are currently being offered. Perhaps it is no longer necessary to those who use A.I. But, as for me, I choose to read directly from the source; or to check the source directly after A.I. tries to tell me what it knows. A.I. is a great speed-reader. But, one must be assured it is reading material based upon real facts and not fiction. A.I. is also good at helping us find proper sources of information. It, however, will never excuse us from the need to be factually accurate. We live in a time when disinformation is deliberate. Propaganda is a tool to undermine our votes, our democratic principles. Judges are beginning to point out lies presented by DOJ attorneys in ways heretofore unseen. A.I. will only give us what it has been fed. And it is fed by factual inputters; but also, by bottom-feeders preying on us with lies. 

As Sister Robertine, O.P. taught us in my Catholic high school, “ Be careful what you read. Garbage in…garbage out.”

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BIRDS OF A FEATHER

I envy those still able to place words on a page.

I hesitate at what I might say to display my rage.

Silence is its own subtle, harmful, deadening cage.

I refuse to become like you – a killer 

of all that is good, all that is free, all that is true.

I refuse to become like you – a silent witness

of all that is evil, all who are held in bondage, 

all of the lies which rely upon you.

I refuse to become like you – a sycophant

in silent praise of racist, sexist, xenophobic chant

by tiny minds, fattened by greed, with tiny hands

grasping for the sacred trust, and pedophilic lust

most hide from civil and moral view.

I refuse to become you – a lost boy

in Never-Never Land, fearful and confused,

afraid to grow up, preferring to fly high

above those you believe inferior

so that you can feel superior.

I know who you are; and so, do you.

I refuse to become you; and so, extend a hand

to help you settle down upon a branch of freedom.

It is weakened; it is true.

But still strong enough

with love enough

to hold us…together.

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KILL THEM ALL?

Fraud plot in which some Somali immigrants participated? All Somalis are garbage so get rid of them all.

Criminal activity in which some African-Americans engage? All African-Americans are garbage. Get rid of them all.

Investigations and questions by journalists you find troublesome? All journalists are garbage. Get rid of them all.

Some women refuse your advances and sexism? All women are garbage. Get rid of them all.

Venezuelan boaters survive an illegal attack at sea? All Venezuelans are garbage. Get rid of them all.

Democrats pass legislation restricting corporate greed? All Democrats are garbage. Get rid of them all.

Military heroes remind military personnel to refuse unlawful orders? All military and veterans are garbage. Get rid of them all.

CEOs defraud, overcharge for goods and services, underpay workers? All CEOs are garbage. Get rid of them all.

Some White people commit crimes? All white people are garbage. Get rid of them all.

Some men abuse and rape women? All men are garbage. Get rid of them all.

Some bankers hide criminal gains, make money off the deposits? All bankers are garbage. Get rid of them all.

Hate has no logic except its power to destroy.

Hate has no reason except its delight in abuse.

Hate has no goodness in thought or in deed.

Hate is a damning influence and creed.

Hate is the one thing no one needs.

Some people hate? All people are garbage. Get rid of them all.

Hate until no one is left alive, no one at all.

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Words

Some days the words refuse to let me go.

On other days words pretend I am someone they do not know.

The cut-direct should not hurt so.

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PRESS, THE ATTACK

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Writing in the dark

is hard, requires balance,

leaning on insight.

Things do not smell right

despite heightened sense of smell

and story to tell.

Writing in the dark

makes hard to appreciate

journalists who fall.

Things are now hidden 

behind false information.

See? Nothing at all.

And, so it goes down:

free speech, free press, redress.

Democracy Dark!

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MY FELLOW AMERICANS

MY FELLOW AMERICANS

I hold my tongue.

It takes strength I do not have.

Whimpers escape

On shattered breaths,

In silent screams.

The fight worries my soul,

Battle weary and choking,

On words held tight inside.

Once the scream begins

I doubt I could stop.

I wait for your speech.

I yearn for your promise

To stop the authoritarian

Who has taken over our house,

Emptied its vaults,

Stolen its wealth,

Sold its power

To the highest bidders.

So, I write. That I can do

While I wait for you.

To me, this nothing new.

Do you believe me now?

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