He went to his grave
Without having to
Say I’m sorry,
Leaving behind a legacy of
Pain and destruction
Born of pettiness and fear,
Helping no one,
Advancing no noble cause,
Only there to tend to
His abject brokenness.
Many years spent together.
Many conversations and the
Shared, familiar laughter of
Congenial experience.
Harmonious chatter,
Joyful exchanges.
Always there for me.
Always understanding what I was
Thinking or saying. Always talking,
That’s how I returned the favor.
Now I make up stories about
How you were because I
Never asked or listened.
Love selectively. Others
Who need attention are
Not worthy. Sing solely to
Those who are weary of your song.
Fight fiercely for those who
Share your experience.
Congratulations are in order.
There will always be poverty,
Uttered nonchalantly,
No realization of the crushing
Weight of words,
How they doom millions to
Lives of scorn,
Limited opportunities.
Casually mentioned phrase,
Self-fulfilling prophecy.
Lives in fear of those who are
Not the same. Perhaps they’ll
Come today. They might
Take everything away,
Usurp his power.
Invites a collage of people to
Spend some time, talk, laugh.
Growth surges, strength builds.
An open smile.
What a great idea.
In our democracy,
Let’s make it
Harder to vote
For certain people.
Erect additional obstacles,
Require photo I.D. to vote,
After all, you need
Identification for other things,
Your papers please.
Posse of stunted children
Sitting around a table,
Reinforcing each other’s
Pain, fear, anxiety,
Changing world.
Losing power,
Lash out against the powerless,
Limit their rights,
Cling to waning,
Perceived supremacy.
Past events dictating
Present behavior,
Unconsciously adhering to
Erroneous messages
Leading to calamity.
Open the window,
Breathe in the promise of
Vibrant panoramas,
Fresh possibilities flowing
Joyfully forward.
I’m on my phone.
I’m on my phone.
Important as the next.
I’m on my phone.
I’m on my phone.
Furiously feeding my soul.
I’m on my phone.
I’m on my phone.
It will matter someday.
It’s not that funny when you’re the object of
Scorn and manipulation, subtly executed.
Stand right here for eighteen years,
I’ll show you what it’s like.
Difficult to make out any one thing let alone
Remember the specific time I failed under its
Growing weight. Slow motion immobilization.
Come now, I’ll tell you more about it.
Let us relive those glory days when,
Big as a mountain, you saw fit to
Slide into the valley silencing all
But your conscience.
