Under the pretense of
Tradition,
They support and perpetuate
The subjugation of
Vulnerable people,
Power being the sole objective,
Not any made-up story of
Adhering to long-standing custom,
Disgraceful lust for
Domination and superiority.
One day she decided to do
Something different and sing
Her own song. One day he decided
To do something different and
Write his own story.
The world smiled.
Dismantle
Great equalizer,
Critically wound the
Promise of opportunity,
Regardless of station.
Under the guise of
Reform, merit, competition,
Eviscerate it,
Weaken its foundation
Piece by piece.
Democracy deflated,
Increasing divide,
Advantaged versus unprivileged.
Self-perpetuating inferno,
Burgeoning underclass.
A small child dreams of the day
She’ll have a home of her own;
A room without others in it;
Food to calm her hunger for
More than a few hours; a
School to attend for at least
A month; friends she can
Play with for a long while.
Experience clouding her face.
Etched by one heartbreak after another.
In an imposing, cavernous enclosure,
A stolid old man stands up;
Condemns her kind;
Retires to an opulent office,
Lunch, home.
I meant it when I said I love myself and
A procession of people walked all over me.
I believed it when I said I love myself and
Was mired in strife and broken relationships.
I professed to love myself with conviction and
Was sentence to repeat what I knew.
Locked away inside, me.
Pity the executives,
So many problems all at once,
Horrible hiring woes,
We can’t find trained people,
Can’t hire anyone else,
Won’t cut into record profits.
Sluggish economy lurches unsteadily,
Gilded few sip champagne
On the Riviera,
Let a few more employees go,
Gather all the chips
With sleazy smiles.
Reeking piles of money fondled
In open defiance of
Working stiffs,
Keep that back limber,
No health care for you
Part-timer,
A country going under
Plutocratic thumbs.
Silence envelopes, inviting reflection.
Peaceful, placid, pleasurable.
Letting go of the insistent bustle and activity.
Quietly pondering nothing in particular.
Comforting thoughts drifting into sleep.
Assaulted by the burst of a motor.
What’s it like to live scared?
Certain that someone is always
At the back door, eager to harm.
To flinch at the slightest sound,
Assume offensive posture. Sleep with
One eye open. Throbbing memories.
What’s it like to live courageously?
Understand that risk is real,
Not pervasive. Embrace the
Kindness and compassion that is
Present at every turn. Welcome
Inner and outer peace.
Attach the label,
Accusatory scarlet letter,
Moral failing, character flaw,
Stamp of inadequacy.
Point a crooked finger,
Their fault, they’re lazy,
Not enterprising and
Hard-working like us.
Gilded mantle of
Success and civilization,
Gentility personified,
There but for chance.
