Averting
At the supermarket,
Averting her eyes,
Many recognize
What’s going on,
She wishes they didn’t.
Struggling through the day,
Not yet in a place
Where she believes
In her worth,
That she doesn’t
Deserve this.
Plume
Lashing out with great
Vigor and ferocity, memories
Kept covered by a thin
Layer of civility exposed at
The slightest scratch.
Unconscious reactions to
Perceived slights from all
Directions, the outrage of
Memories not forgotten,
Awakened, unaddressed,
Unknown, a plume of
Panic and bewilderment.
Deep Convictions
He’s a crusader
With deep convictions,
A man of integrity
Who can always
Be counted on to
Share some wise advice.
He prides himself
On being a person of
Honor and moderation,
Steadfast purveyor of
Only common-sense views,
Which is why he
Is fervently against
Income redistribution,
At least the kind
That helps the poor.
Understanding
A different type of energy,
One that comes from distant
Wounds, inflicted by monsters
Who were supposed to protect
Them, confidence betrayed,
A never-healing sore oozing
Mistrust, anger, pain directed
At everyone, for any reason,
For no reason other than it
Has never been acknowledged
Or dealt with so it can go
Away, recede into memory,
Leaving in its place,
Softness, kindness, wholeness,
Compassion, understanding.
Like Every Other Day
Nothing much going on,
Like every other day.
She remembers when life
Felt full of promise,
When she would wake up
And things mattered,
The excitement of
What was to come,
The joy in even the
Smallest occurrences,
Barely a memory now,
Replaced by a void.
Remains
A rivulet of fetid water
Winds its way through
Garbage-choked dirt alleys
Walled in by smoke-filled
Tin shacks crowded to bursting.
What remains after
Everything was sucked out
By self-important predators
Whose lust for money greatly
Exceeded all other impulses.
The Effect
The whole situation
Was created by people
Who aren’t aware of
Why they think or do
Certain things and
What the effect of
Their thoughts and
Actions is.
What it must be like
To travel through life
Swinging an ax,
Unwilling, unable,
To stop when
Someone, anyone,
Everyone, is
In the way.
Confirmed
One fine day,
Seemingly out of
Nowhere,
He came into town and,
With a few brief
Words, reminded people
Of what was really
Important in life,
And had every single
Person running home
To make amends or
Hug a loved one,
Help someone in need,
Their better nature
Confirmed.
The stranger vanished
As mysteriously as
He had appeared,
And the people
Went back to doing
What they had
Always done.
Any Other Way
There is no sign
That he’ll ever be
Any other way.
He’s a gentleman,
As attentive as
They come.
When he sees ladies,
He always smiles and
Opens the door for them.
He’s gracious and
Polite, complimenting
Them on their looks.
He unflinchingly believes
They’re wilting flowers
That require his help.
The fairer sex who
Need a strong man
Guiding them.
That’s what his father
Told him, and his
Father before.