Gap widening,
One group can’t see
What’s happening
On the other side.
Toiling fruitlessly,
Unable to lift their
Heads up long enough to
Envision any future.
Another lavish shopping spree,
Put the bags down in a
Closet the size of
An apartment.
Call your friend about the
Next trip to St. Barth,
In a kitchen, a father
Stares at dirty dishes.
The selfless act offered without
Craving for recognition or glory. The
Kindness shared without expectation of
Reimbursement. The caring generously
Given to those who are not familiar.
Stepping outside oneself for a walk on
A sunny morning for someone else.
There comes a time when
One is either actively
Against injustice or,
By saying nothing,
Part of the problem.
Speak out with a clear voice,
Help those who don’t have one,
Be part of the solution,
Rather than on the
Wrong side of history.
Another unreconstructed loudmouth
Spewing venomous vituperations.
Eyes glazed, mouth frothing,
Mind strangled with rancor.
They pretend to look away,
Another inconvenient car wreck
To ignore, metastasizing,
Contempt the agenda.
Stress, stress,
Everybody feels it.
Stress, stress,
Everybody hates it.
Stress, stress,
Everybody talks about it.
Stress, stress,
Everybody perpetuates it.
Stress, stress,
A lovely pastime.
Stress, stress,
What else would we talk about?
Stress, stress.
Every imaginable
Foible flawlessly
Executed with supreme
Cockiness, unbridled ego,
Shocking lack of insight,
Appalling hubris.
Condemn millions to
Substandard,
Painful lives.
Sleep like a baby,
In luxury,
Every single night.
Pang of conscience?
Start a bogus
Charity event.
Mind racing, head breaking,
Trying to find an answer,
Any answer. Programmed to
Believe in anything but me,
Directed to forego self.
Don’t trust yourself. Keep it to
Yourself. You don’t really matter.
Only we matter. Voices of reason
Tying my hands and muffling my
Being. Not myself.
Mind racing, head breaking.
Trying to find an answer,
My answer, unadulterated.
Desperately
Trying to fit in,
Appeasing their
Oppressors.
Young women
Parading around in
Outlandish, tacky
Versions of the
Garb of their
Conquerors.
Spirit broken
Generationally,
A sham display of
Civic pride,
Gaudy cartoon,
Misguided
Aspirations.
I thought I couldn’t do it and
I didn’t. I told myself I wasn’t
Good enough and it came true.
I didn’t take a risk and stayed
Stuck to my couch.
Wishing things were different.
Hoping things would change.
No breaks coming my way.
I saw a bird land on a branch.
He paused, cleaned his feathers and
Flew without a thought.
