She dares speak her mind,
Asking for equality –
A chance to succeed
Unencumbered by antiquated
Notions about what
She can and can’t do.
Upsetting confining structures
Erected by insecure tyrants
Who bristle when their
Dominance is questioned.
A simple plea for fairness
Met with scathing reproach,
Urgent calls for retribution
Because she has the temerity
To ask to be treated with
Dignity and respect rather
Than be relegated to what
They deem her place.
The programs they devour
Have so twisted their
Thinking through
Misdirection,
Misinformation,
Misguided manipulation,
That they are
No longer able to
Distinguish
Fact from fiction,
Make rational choices.
There is no absolute,
Immutable law stating
That employers need to
Take advantage of their
Employees in order to
Make more money.
No one has to become
Wealthy from exploiting
People who have no other
Choice but to work for
A corporation that
Doesn’t care about them.
Owners could as easily
Choose to treat workers with
Dignity and respect,
Pay them a living wage,
Value their humanity,
But that would be preposterous.
You could have just told me that
You didn’t want to see me any
Longer instead of inviting me to
The party so I could be an
Eyewitness to the horrifying
Spectacle of you greatly enjoying
Someone else’s company.
It might have saved my heart from
Hemorrhaging behind a freakishly
Plastered-on smile and compulsive,
Frail attempts at humor.
Spasming, freshly wounded.
It crept up on me.
I didn’t realize how attached
I was to my original idea or
How hard it would be to
Reshape my conception now
Rendered meaningless.
An unsolicited shattering of
Comfortable routine,
Shaking me awake,
Reminding me there is
A lot of work left to do.
Such a beautiful
Baby girl.
Let’s teach her how to be
A little lady.
Let’s fill her with
Fear and self-loathing.
Let’s tell her that
She should answer to men.
Let’s advise her not to trust
Her own voice.
Let’s encourage her to
Do our bidding.
Let’s rejoice as she
Defends her oppressors.
Ah, it would be great
If we could go back to
Those heady days when
We ran filthy factories
Attracting myriad mendicants
Applying for menial jobs.
So invigorating when
We could do whatever we
Wanted to do, unbothered.
Stripping people of their dignity,
Paying them nothing for it
While our assistants wheeled
Carts of cash to the bank and
We sat by the pool smoking
Imported cigars and
Sipping fine whiskey.
One can only hope.
They say they’re all the same.
Throw them all out,
They’re all on the take,
Except that some of them
Want everyone to be
Treated with compassion and
Others don’t.
Some want to help the
Poor succeed and
Others don’t.
Some want to level
The playing field and
Others don’t.
Some want everyone
To have access to health care and
Others don’t.
Some want equal rights for all and
Others don’t.
A cursory look reveals
Both sides aren’t the same
At all, but the trope lives on,
Just as those who benefit
From false equivalence and
Confusion want it to.
A brilliant idea,
Saving the economy
By decimating essential
Programs, rendering
Millions destitute while
Pouring money into
The coffers of those
Who least need it.
A pall of austerity
Sucks the air out of
The unfortunate many,
Invigorating not the
Economy but fattening
The top percentile
Feasting on pheasant
Hunted on the estate.
