It’s cold outside,
Snow on the ground,
But the girl with
A hula hoop
Is enjoying herself.
The birds see me
Looking at them
From inside the house.
They don’t know what
I’m thinking,
Or maybe they do.
Everyone could see it was over
From the moment they walked in,
Sat down, looked at their hands and
Exchanged silence heavy and
Uncomfortable. Nobody said anything,
Including them, and no one would for
Eternity and then some, perpetuated in
Forthcoming generations.
Defending the vulnerable,
Not because he craves
Accolades or seeks to
Reserve a special place in
A public square with his
Name on it, but due to
His unshakable belief in
The human spirit and the
Resplendence of forgiveness,
Compassion, the realization
That no one is defined by
A single act but rather
Where their promise lies.
One small man jumped on another
Man’s back and started pointing out
The imperfections he noticed.
One small man scrutinized another
Man’s face and told him he was
OK looking at best.
One small man picked at another
Man’s scabs, reopening the lacerations
That had been healing.
One small man laughed at another
Man’s mistakes and went home
To an empty interior.
It doesn’t have to
Be this way.
Companies can make
A lot of money and
Pay their employees well.
CEOs can pay themselves
Slightly less,
Build one less mansion,
So that their workers
Can buy a car,
Afford a mortgage,
Send their kids
To college,
Take a vacation,
Set some money aside,
Enjoy life.
Inequality doesn’t
Have to be the norm
Unless those at the top
Want it to be.
He closed his eyes and
Let go of the last vestige of
Humanity. A worship of the
Material, compassion
Succumbing to brute
Force of self-interest,
Fear, lust for power.
He opened his eyes and
Saw the opportunities to
Comfort, care, build a
Future of hope and love.
Growing expansively,
Openly, altruistically,
Reversing history.
Of course we didn’t talk about it.
We never do, never have, never will,
Never mind.
A giant question mark that keeps
You from running, jumping, dreaming
Out loud.
Open your precious gilded box,
The one with all the secrets in it,
Carefully arranged, excommunicated.
Look around furtively, someone might
See who you are when you’re not
Ready for visitors.
No matter what happens or
How weird things get.
You’re always there.
An oasis of solace and comfort
In roiling seas.
A refuge from
The heartless vicissitudes that
Challenge my mettle.
You’ll always be with me,
My beloved waffle iron.
