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.
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.
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.
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?
The day begins with signs
Of all that any patriot finds
In need of expression
To resist oppression.
We line the streets
Feet deep
Only to meet
Aggression
From those who seek
Our suppression.
Gerrymandered districts
Are incomplete,
Unable to meet
Fair representation,
Denying the nation
one person one vote,
Intimidation afloat
In every state.
We pray it is not too late.
We pray our efforts matter.
We pray our mad-as-hatter
Administration
Stops destroying our beloved nation.
We sing. We dance. We shout.
This is what democracy is about.
No kings today.
No kings in any way.
No kings over courts’ justice.
No kings over any of us.
Every king eventually falls.
We do not want a king at all.
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.
Filed under POETRY
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.
Better to wait at the gate?
The temptation is to lift the latch and enter.
It is, after all, a public space.
But women know guard dogs lie in wait
on the other side of the gate.
Thus, carefully, we negotiate
each step along the way,
fearful of unleashed dogs nipping at our heels,
ready to tear apart our bodies and our dreams.
And, when they hear our screams
they say, “I had no idea.”
Plausible deniability is their way.
Men, and women too weak to lift latches,
deny that sexism is at play.
They laugh and joke at our fright.
Then simply go on their way,
as they believe it is their sole right.
Anyone who is not Christian.
Anyone who is not white.
Anyone who would lift latches
and move beyond the gate;
only does so, when they can no longer wait
for justice and progress,
which lie beyond the gate,
and the only place
where their suffering can abate.
Are those who lift latches “the enemy within”?
Lift latches in the safest space.
Then, keep the gates open.
It is not yet too late!
Vote!
There is so little that is understated now.
No more elegant lifting of a single brow.
Excited stammers and caustic frowns
by the faithless Republican clowns
who mimic a man who would wear a crown.
There is no thoughtful, errudite display.
There is only posing false, and evil, play.
Trumped up hearings day-by-day
now hold sway hiding reality away.
He does not lead; but, is just a toy
they use as an effective ploy
to take away power from the many
so they can hold on to every penny
they have gained by writing rules
to benefit themselves and other fools
who overlook their history
and their sworn oaths and holy duty.
What games are played out every day.
While we are left to hope and pray.
And legislation is torn to shreds
that protected us lying in our beds
believing we could face another day,
and see more laws added to hold harm at bay.
They play on fears which they create,
their greed for money and power to satiate.
Vote before it is too late
and democracy is no longer ours to celebrate.
annarino writes 
DECONSTRUCTION
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.
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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