Their lives are
Based on beliefs
Rather than facts,
Following a trajectory
Of supposition,
Superstition,
Every move dictated by
Some unseen force,
Contrived reality,
Detrimental,
Unproven, unhealthy.
Lilly is the one who
Took away her son,
Stole her most
Cherished treasure,
Left her sobbing alone
Without her beloved
First-born, her best
Friend and confidant,
The one she poured
All her dreams and
Unfulfilled aspirations into.
To make up for this
Heinous affront,
Olivia proffers strategic
Gifts to the children,
A premeditated maneuver to
Regain control.
Margaret hadn’t voted
Her entire life but felt
That this election would
Affect the course of the
Country for many years to
Come. She registered and
Looked forward to having
Her voice be heard;
She even encouraged some of
Her neighbors to join her.
She got a ride to the polls
On election day, where she
Was told that she didn’t
Have the proper identification.
A self-conscious
Group of dunces
Deeply enamored with
Their job titles and the
Sound of their own voices,
Ignorant of their
Limited intellects,
Making decisions reeking of
Ego and insecurity,
Grown children pretending
To be competent.
Looking back over
The history of the world,
It becomes apparent that,
While we could all
Easily live together and
Share resources,
There is always some
Individual or group that
Gains power due to physical size,
Financial strength,
Uncontrollable ambition,
A pathological need to dominate,
And decides it’s a
Great idea to horde
Everything for themselves,
The same creatures
Who brought you every
Monarchy, dictatorship,
Slavery-driven economy,
Separate, unequal society
We’ve ever known
Because they are the
Ones who stop at nothing
To impose their will.
As has been the unfortunate
But not inevitable story since
The dawn of civilization,
A significant portion of
The populace is unable or unwilling
To feel another’s plight,
Help someone other than themselves,
Thus complicating the entire concept of
Building an equitable society,
Where people work together with
The understanding that each of their parts
Contributes to a greater whole
Benefiting everyone rather than
Wildly enriching a few opportunists.
As always, they are driven by a fervent
Belief that government should get out of the way,
Let them do whatever they want,
Leave the victims to fend for themselves,
Sever the social contract,
Throw the common good into the fire,
Allow unrestrained exploitation by the
Most aggressive and powerful in a
Violent coliseum that only exists when
The countervailing voice is silenced.
Wave after wave
Testing his mettle,
Eroding what little
Strength remains,
Each day a new test
Of perseverance.