Tag Archives: misogyny

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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Filed under POETRY, POLITICS

DECONSTRUCTION

Columbus, Ohio 10-18-2025

The streets were lined for blocks on end.

Signs reminded all who rejoiced to attend

Why they walked and talked and smiled and waved

At passing cars who braved delays

While drivers honked horns and shouted out

“Vote him out and make it a rout!”

Costumed critters danced to our delight

Knowing their freedom would give him a fright.

Deconstruct the lies we have been told.

Deconstruct the narrative being sold.

Deconstruct the bullie’s hold.

Deconstruct institutional mold.

Gather in peace the young and the old.

Stronger are you, more wise, more bold.

Deconstruct so we can rebuild

What he has destroyed with his minions’ lack of skill.

We know how to do this, and more.

We have done it many times before.

Columbus, Ohio 10-18-2025
Columbus, Ohio 10-18-2025
Columbus, Ohio 10-18-2025
Columbus, Ohio 10-18-2025
Columbus, Ohio 10-18-2025
Columbus, Ohio 10-18-2025
Columbus, Ohio 10-18-2025

My thanks to my friends in Clintonville area of Columbus who helped me attend this moment of patriots’ challenge to the con men robbing the USA of its power, wealth, ideals and humanity. The lack of media coverage was appalling. The misrepresentation of attendance numbers cannot be challenged when media fails to provide images of the gatherings. A local station covered it AFTER it was over and crowds had dispersed. Another stated hundreds attended when it was actually thousands. We are here. We are resisting. We are going nowhere until the despotism and kidnapping of people and the Supreme Court, universities, news organizations, social media outlets, medical and public health Institutions… even our very language and the meaning of words and phrases has been brought to an end and freedom restored.

We shall not be silenced.

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Filed under COMMENTARY, POETRY, POLITICS

NO CELEBRATION

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

I celebrate every child’s birth.

I celebrate no man’s death.

I smile at every child’s birth.

I cry at every man’s death.

I do, however, celebrate, or not, the in-between

where a man’s lived-life is truly seen.

I celebrate a man of compassion,

whose common goals derive from a passion

to welcome diversity and inclusion,

where women are equals with no confusion,

where equal rights is not an illusion,

where religion is not a quote but an action,

where selflessness helps everyone gain satisfaction.

I do not celebrate those whose false ego and pride

make money a god of hate and division.

I can mourn such a death, and not celebrate it.

I can  mourn such a life, and not celebrate it.

Death closed a door that no one should open.

No celebration of life nor death can erase truth as we know it.

Find reasons to love those hurting and sorrowful.

But, make no excuses for what was so horrible. 

Speak not evil of the dead.

Nothing more to be said.

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Filed under POETRY

THE PERFECT STORM

Photo by Zeeshaan Shabbir on Pexels.com

We are in the midst of a perfect storm.

Those who seek perfection, especially

a perfection to match themselves,

which they consider the norm,

relish the chaos which leads astray

a nation once dedicated to the proposition

that “all men are created equal 

and endowed by their creator with the right

to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

What a lovely concept in sunny weather,

on a clear blue day.

But, those seeing red over perceived imperfection

cannot tolerate those who refuse to let the imperfect

get in the way of the possible.

They prefer to cut programs and taxes,

to keep their money in their own pockets,

show their personal largesse to those deemed worthy.

If only, they could see their own imperfections clearly.

We would not be in this frightful storm.

The winds of fascism and authoritarianism stir wildly

every manner, moral tome, and rule of law, and norm.

The rain of terror by masked militia in our streets

is more costly than housing the homeless,

feeding the hungry, educating our young people

who live with expectations of defeat.

The young see their pursuit of happiness and their freedom

being washed away, with inequality laid at their feet.

I do not believe in perfection. 

There are few perfect days.

Clouds are born by winds unseen 

shadowing perfection and laying it aside

while violent storms brew.

I do not seek the impossible. 

It is too costly and uncontrollable.

I know no policy nor program is perfect, as is no man.

Nothing makes us greater than to simply understand

we are all flawed human beings doing the best we can.

There can be no apology for silently marveling 

and supporting these dark days.

The perfect see no reason to apologize

for the greater wisdom of their ways.

We are left to raise umbrellas 

to protect as many as we can.

But, umbrellas are no match for perfect storms

created by our fellow man.

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Filed under POETRY, POLITICS

MAMA

Angela Abbruzzi (Abbruzzese) Annarino, high school graduation at age 16

Let’s start a new movement in America.

It is not too late to start anew.

I know I can count on most of you.

We shall call it MAMA,

Make America Motherly Again.

We have had our fill of paternalism.

Let us try maternalism.

We can feed every child meals 

to feed their bodies, hearts and souls.

We can tenderly listen to ease the loneliness

of every grandparent, taking on their former role

as caretakers and dream-makers.

We can heal the sick and ease the way

of those whose minds are different so

all of us can live, love and laugh together.

We can build solar and wind energy makers

to ease the threat of out-of-control weather.

We can offer a living wage to those who labor

on behalf of every family, everywhere.

We can lead our children in private prayer,

within our own homes, and leave to others

whatever prayer, or none, they choose.

We can teach our children well, and if we do,

they will also learn to be good, for the common good

of every person on the planet, like me and like you.

Are you ready? Mothers’ Day will soon be here.

MAMA is on the march to a loving place

of freedom and peace, absent all fear.

We can wear hats, aprons and gloves in blue

A blue hat to block out the heat of hate on any face,

a blue apron to protect the garments of democracy we sow,

and blue gloves to protect hands worn thin by our work

to make our need-to-be renewed nation grow.

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Filed under POETRY, POLITICS

MAGA LESSON 1

AI created image “Trump”

The most difficult words to say

without reason nor rhyme

are “The failure is all mine.”

Even when failure brings such relief,

as the end succeeds the means,

it destroys our firm belief

in our omnipotence and grief,

and makes victims of us all

But victimhood is no more true

than the lie we tell ourselves

that we are better than you.

An un-truth we gleefully claim

to avoid our deepest shame

that we are not enough to win the game.

Shame is at the heart of every false start.

To admit we are in need leads 

to greed and every evil deed,

while self-care falls aside

to save our wounded pride.

Shameful hurts grow in number day by day.

We build walls to keep them, and shame away.

Walls become our gaol as we hide ourselves inside.

Then, we blame those left behind and locked outside.

We are alone in our togetherness; together in our aloneness.

And the rest of the world marches on by.

Shame never takes a break, nor rests

while we destroy what and who we know are best.

That is the only way to win, and then we whine

with shrugs and say, “The failure is not mine.”

One cannot shame a bully more 

than a bully shames himself.

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Filed under POETRY, POLITICS

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME

photo by W. Melvin, April 2025

Time Springs forward

dragging darkness 

behind the lines

sketched on icy nights,

chilled by winds of change

blowing against the heat of sunlight,

marching tentatively 

amid the raindrops

on hardened feet,

with tender hearts,

and fretful minds.

Where will this end?

wonder insects, birds and bees.

Will flowers and gardens of delight

ever bloom in peace again ?

Books, plays, trans, 

people of color and women,

Jews and Muslims banned.

Libraries and museums shuttered.

Voice of America and PBS silenced ?

Knowledge buried with past misdeeds

and hidden gems of wisdom covered

by the mulch of indifference and lies. 

How fast time flies

while truth is shattered and put asunder.

Forgotten history betrayed and bended,

despite our promise, “Never again!” has ended.

Now is the time to save the light.

Daily, now, again and again.

Spring into the light and fight.

Again and again and again

until the darkest days of winter

are overcome by a freedom summer’s light.

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Filed under POETRY, POLITICS

DEFAMATION

Photo by CQF-Avocat on Pexels.com

Words can cut too close to the bone. 

Words’ outside meaning fires the skin.

Words’ inside meaning, hidden from view

fires up hateful spew, just as true.

Words can cut too close to the bone.

splitting back the skin of what we have known.

Words open gaps to see within

what we have long hidden beneath our thin skins.

Words can make the blood flow strong,

too hard and too fast for too long.

Words flow beneath the marrow

to the depths of what we think we know.

Words pulse with their own beat

dancing through bodies to the soles of our feet.

Words leave bloody footprints to follow

until all blood is lost and our souls become hollow.

This is how words kill.

From outside in then out again

opening wounds we did not know

had crusted over wounds from long ago.

Words tear scars opening wounds anew

while ripping apart the peace we had found

to cure and to heal hate with love.

Words tell us love can never be true.

Words tell us love is not real;

if real, then, love is too weak to abide.

Words help us bury love so deep it subsides

and only hate can hold court inside.

Words boost false pride

that I am better than you.

I die inside as I try to kill the few

who speak the truth you once knew.

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Filed under POETRY

WOMEN’S MARCH

I would not trade away today

despite the perilous fray

sure to come.

Interesting times they say

should be avoided.

Yet, history turns her gaze

on such days

making us preciously aware

of what truly matters.

Attentively, I hold my heart steady,

bracing, by body ready.

I have marched through the nation’s streets

with tired legs on weary feet

for too many years to count,

hoping to finally count for something.

Ever more alert,

our marching tread announcing

we are here, here to stay.

History has our ear

exactly as we feared.

Today we march side by side

hoping to turn history’s tide.

There is no place to hide

from white male supremacy,

and the greedy bully

too many ride.

I know not what today will bring.

I pray it brings victory and pride

that our Republic has not yet died.

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Filed under POETRY

OVERTURNING WOMEN

No exception for rape

when Roe is overturned

should be no surprise.

The whole point is

the sanctity of life.

Except for women,

whose lives 

are not their own.

They belong to men.

To use.

To direct.

To control.

And of course,

to rape.

To quiet.

To destroy.

It is a state’s right,

don’t you know?

One human right

is no better than another

if men 

cannot have their way.

Exceptions have no place

in the religious right’s mind.

Religion itself is at risk.

Do you think the right

stops here

when a woman’s rights

are destroyed ?

Whose religion has a say?

Not mine, nor yours.

This is no longer a nation 

of laws and not men.

Law has been destroyed

by men whose religion

of male superiority holds sway

on our Supreme Court,

and finds support by women 

selling out other women

to please men, or male gods

whose love is no longer Supreme.

A god whose love

is no longer on display.

And men are soon free

to act with racial superiority.

For certainly, 

once woman’s right to be

in control of her life is stolen.

Other lives are also at risk.

Sad day for me

to learn law has been supplanted,

dismantled, denied and destroyed.

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Filed under POETRY, POLITICS