A full-time
Warehouse worker,
Unable to pay
Some outstanding
Parking tickets,
Finds himself in
A jail cell,
The full force of the
Judicial system
Against him.
An investment banker
Devises a scheme
That destroys
Countless lives,
Extinguishes untold dreams,
Bankrupts the country,
Enjoys a cool drink
By his pool,
Immunity in
Full force.
A cool mist brings
Down the temperature,
Filling each breath
With refreshing moisture
As we walk on the
Green, saturated earth
In what feels like a
Hidden, primordial place,
Far away from civilization.
We talk with each other,
Interested in what’s going on,
Sharing stories about everything,
Our deepest hopes and worries,
A natural ebb and flow,
Unedited, uninterrupted, easy.
Exciting ideas appear,
Old ones modified or left behind,
New branches, leaves, flowers emerge,
Our dreams taking hold,
Continuing the conversation.
I remember as a child
When I had to have
Minor surgery and,
As I was recovering
In the hospital afterward,
Receiving lovely cards
From my classmates,
And having various
Smiling faces visit,
Providing comfort
At a vulnerable moment,
Unsolicited
Acts of kindness
That made
Such a difference.
Reading poetry
In a placid garden,
A bird stops by
To take a drink,
A squirrel visits
For a while,
The sun warms
Us all.
He talks eloquently,
Movingly about
Things like
Equality,
Kindness,
Peace,
Hope,
Compassion.
He’s often met with
The same depressing,
Dismissive looks
And comments
Denigrating his
Optimism and
Replacing it
With hopelessness.
Entire spheres
Populated by
Dull
Bullies
Overpowering
Any positive impulse,
Creating a harder,
Meaner world.
Light waning
Over the water,
Small waves quietly
Washing over pebbles,
Screaming at the
Injustice,
The trees listen.
So dead inside that
They don’t feel a thing
When making decisions
That hurt other human beings,
Moving forward with
Cold calculation,
Devoid of compassion.
Covered in
Restrictive,
Antiquated,
Uncomfortable garb,
Long hair
Archaically styled,
Pioneer women without
The freedom to explore,
Idealized, submissive
Feminine appearance.
Stay close to the hearth,
With your multiple offspring,
Do as you’re told by
Your male master.
Walking anachronisms
Controlled from all angles
By abusive hustlers
Waving morality banners.
