I wish I could cast
You aside like something
That doesn’t matter
Anymore, that’s used up,
Served its purpose,
No longer needed,
But you keep hanging on,
Showing up when I least
Or most expect it,
Reminding me of things
I’d rather forget,
Leaving me no choice
But to fall into
Your familiar arms,
Pervasive past,
Present stifled.
Those cherished moments
Stalking a living creature
To assert flagging manhood,
An obscuring cloud of
Euphemisms shared to
Justify cold-hearted killing.
No one will dare impugn
Our masculinity now that
We’re proving how virile we are
Carrying these metal members
And pretending it’s about
Camaraderie and enjoying nature,
Not senseless violence to
Avoid appearing feminine.
A thoughtful walk on a
Pensive day with nowhere
In particular to go and
Many places to explore.
Reach down and trace
The innocent perfection
Of a tiny flower,
Overlooked by many,
But not you.
Slaughtering peaceful protesters
To protect a contaminated system
Put in place to protect only
Those who adhere to the party line,
The evening news proclaims
The rioters have been dealt with
And order once again rules.
Harsh oppressors without conscience,
The same story told in
Countless languages,
Appalling violence perpetuated
On the subjugated to appease
The obscene needs of psychopaths.
Shop, shop, everybody shop.
Buy, buy, everybody buy.
Acquire, acquire, acquire
Happiness through attic-filling stuff.
Silent indifferent objects
Slaking unmet needs.
Better, faster, shinier,
Now with more status.
Purchase me, purchase me,
A candle for the darkness.
Don’t you dare call him by
His real name,
You must use his title
Lest you incur the wrath of
He whose insecurity is
So pervasive that it forces
Other people to genuflect before him,
Filling him momentarily with
An illusion of superiority,
Of being on top of someone else and
Thus being more important,
A quivering mass of
Power-seeking obnoxiousness.
An ostentatious display of
Diplomas, certificates, awards,
Photos with prominent people,
Carefully framed for
Maximum prominence,
Clutter every wall,
Screaming for attention,
Recognition, validation,
An unwitting plea from an
Outwardly confident professional
Perpetually endeavoring to prove
How powerful she is.
Flaunting the
Fanciest degrees
From exclusive
Institutions of
Higher learning,
They congregate in
Self-serving groups,
Roaring about their
Accomplishments,
Grooming one another,
Completely lacking
Vision or depth,
A herd of ordinary
Matching dolts.
Given everything
On a silver platter coated in platinum
With no expectation of repayment,
Every whim and caprice indulged,
A cocky, belligerent simpleton
Throwing his privilege around,
Demanding attention
Where none is due,
Overstating his ability,
Pretending to be extraordinary,
All swagger and no substance.
