As if their circumstances
Were caused by some
Deficiency of character,
Some cultural proclivity
Leading to destitution.
Latent hatred masquerading
As fact, blanket statements
Smothering the light,
Assumptions based on
Equivocation, obfuscation.
Marginalization.
Keeping them in their place,
Where they belong,
Away from us in our
Bastion of cowardice.
Groomed in a
Culture of
Fervent belief,
Indoctrinated
By fist,
Attaches self
To grimly severe concepts,
Slaking a
Lack of inner power.
Disjointed inside,
Inability to empathize,
Struggle to survive
Primordial,
No other being
Matters.
Make sure that you find one
Position and never consider
Another, never compromise your
Principles, never cede any ground.
This is a fight, after all, and fights
Are to be won at all costs,
No matter what the damage.
Watch lifelessly as every opportunity for
Collaboration and conviviality topple
Into the abyss. Stand firm as hopes
Wither and doors close on people’s
Expectant faces. Savor the moment,
There are only so many times you can
Dig your heels in before the hole is
Too deep to fill.
It’s easy to become
One of them,
Just function based on
Your hurts,
Extinguish your heart,
Close your mind,
Develop an immunity to truth,
Begin speaking and never stop,
No matter what anyone says,
Or how much it damages others,
Remain true to your
Ideals of exclusion and cruelty,
Make the world a worse place.
Projecting hatreds,
Insecurities onto others,
Twisting words into
Rapiers,
Eviscerating the
Most vulnerable,
Stalking the defenseless,
Grinding their faces
Into the dirt,
A self-satisfied smile
Oozing self-righteousness,
Decency perverted.
Band-aid on a
Festering wound,
Live to prey
Another day.
A man prone to depression
Thought about his life in terms of what
Was wrong. He spent many years in
Solitude until he met a woman who was
Sure she could fix him. No matter how
Low he went, she was there to cradle him.
Precious despair tended to well.
Years passed with the branch bending ever
Closer to the ground until it
Mercifully snapped. Nothing left to
Bear once the fog lifted. The pair grew
Apart. He moved to greener climes, she to
Another flower offering the nectar.
I didn’t have
Anything to do
With that.
Self-serving exculpation
Boldly proclaimed,
Passionately articulated,
Heavy conscience
Compensating for known
Trespasses unadmitted.
Thoughtless behavior,
Scarcely cloaked enmity
Socially sanctioned,
Demean the dispossessed.
A greasy plate of ridicule
Served with a steaming
Side of animus.
Peering through
The department store window
At clothes she’ll
Never own.
Figures sneering inside,
Watch the door,
Keep her out,
What could she possibly
Want in here, such a bother,
Why doesn’t she go home?
The car she lives in
Is parked a few blocks away,
No gas in the tank,
No transportation, no job,
Sorry about that,
Cost of living, you know.
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.
