All It Takes
All it takes
For a democracy to
Self-destruct is for
The people who run it to
Decide that the only thing
That matters is money
And their own power.
Lofty words succumb easily
To base drives.
Winter Birds Arrive
The winter birds arrive
After their long journey,
Enjoying a well-deserved rest,
Having a snack,
Taking a tour of the garden to
Remember its contours.
Happy to see them,
We’re reminded of time.
Not Tolerated
Dissent is not tolerated
In these quarters,
It is swiftly and savagely
Crushed with severe prejudice,
Anyone advocating equality
Or common decency is
Smeared as aberrant,
Protest is denounced as disloyal,
Suppression and humiliation
Usurp openness and discourse.
Maw
Terrified they won’t
Be able to step on anyone
They want to any longer,
Torment people just to feel bigger,
For any reason,
Grotesque hubris,
Hundreds of years
Subjugating and oppressing,
Nothing too extreme in their
Appalling crusade for dominance.
They’ll stop at nothing,
Including the destruction of everything,
To stay in power,
Leering maw of supremacy.
What They Are
They want all the benefits
But don’t want to share them,
Especially with the brown
People they sneer at when
In the safety of their own
Enclaves, surrounded by members
Of their exclusionary clans.
None of this is new,
People like this have always
Reveled in power and dominance,
Accustomed to reaping all
The rewards while depriving
Others of basic necessities,
And pretending to be victims
When outed for what they are.
Fruitless Conversations
After many lengthy,
Fruitless conversations,
Actually arguments,
They arrive at the same place
They’ve always been,
Neither understanding the other’s
Point of view or what’s
Really happening underneath
All the bluster,
No prospect of ever
Changing anything,
Two closed minds.
Do Harm
He assures him that
His infant son with
A congenital heart
Condition will not
Want for affordable
Medical care –
Nor will any other child
Regardless of means –
All while scheming
To deny care to everyone
But the wealthy;
A so-called doctor
Working hard to
Do harm.
The Statue
The statue was
Put up there to
Remind people of
Their place,
Glorifying a
Sordid history of
Degrading human beings
For profit while
Feigning civility
And decorum.
It’s clear what
Is being said here.
In This One Corner
In this one corner
You’ll find works of
Great beauty and depth,
Evoking wonder,
Recounting tales of
Places visited,
Feelings felt,
Life lived.
Ask the artist a question,
There is a lot to be learned
About humanity here,
Knowledge earned through
Experience, vulnerability,
Courage, bliss.