See them fall,
One by one,
Maudlin cries
Searching for
Meaning following
Their expiration
By nearly completely
Avoidable means.
Barely a single
Audible voice
Speaking on their
Behalf, imploring
Someone to do
Something about
Senseless carnage.
Silence, cowardice,
Sanctioned slaughter
To appease a lobby.
He’s a family man,
Working hard to provide
For his beloved wife and
Children, getting up each
Morning hoping this will
Be the day that his boss
Stops shouting at him or
Making wisecracks at his
Expense, or cutting his hours.
During the meager standing-up
Break that passes for lunch
At his workplace,
He overhears someone talking
About social justice,
Which makes his blood boil.
I fight for what’s mine,
I don’t rely on anybody else,
Hard work leads to success.
Lost in the outburst are
The many hours he’s
Worked off the clock,
The complete lack of flexibility
And benefits, the absence of
Opportunities to move up,
But none of that matters,
He fights for his earnest
Misapprehension of reality.
When the conversation
Predictably becomes
One-sided, he decides
That this is the last
Time he’ll endure it and
That it is necessary
To interrupt this
Exhausting cycle.
It
Costs
What
It
Costs.
Public education. Universal health care. Help for the vulnerable. Etc.
Why the decision was made
Is beyond his understanding,
Only able to see
What he presently knows,
Not realizing that
There are things
He does not yet grasp
That affect determinations
Made regarding what he does,
Not because of malice,
Personal whim, or caprice,
But rather something else
He will, hopefully,
One day comprehend.
They’re running out of ways
To squeeze more money
Out of them.
They’ve lowered their wages,
Raised gas prices,
Increased grocery costs.
Bank fees levied,
Cell phone service astronomical,
Cable TV costs prohibitive.
Health care obscene,
College tuition impossible,
Mortgages unaffordable.
There’s only so much juice
You can extract from a fruit
Before it withers.
Such a grand fund-raiser,
Everyone dressed to the nines,
Flashing sequins, air kisses,
Hearty handshakes,
Blindingly white teeth,
Taught, shiny faces.
Impeccable pedigrees announced
At the door (new money
Will get you in too)
A chance to hobnob with
The movers and shakers,
Support a worthy cause,
The joy of charitable
Giving to perpetuate
The established order.
Breathe in, for it will be a while
Before you can do it again.
Guard against marauding
Chimeras salivating for your soul.
Defensive posture, ready to
Strike at the smallest provocation
If need be (and there always is).
Don’t let them take anything from
You, crouch, crouch.
Pervasive greed
Supersedes everything else
As they make their
Way through
Stately corridors
Where, notably,
But not to them,
Their predecessors have
Made decisions that
Would benefit the
Greater good rather
Than fill the
Shaking hands of
Rotten megalomaniacs.
