He cries when he
Hears the song because
It reminds him of
Who he used to be and
How much he’s changed.
A person using another
For nothing else than
Momentary amusement.
Nothing here of any
Consequence, no
Respect, affection.
One of them wonders
If there is
Something more.
Both of them leave
Worse off for
The experience.
Keeping women down,
They call it tradition.
Telling them what to do
With their bodies.
Condemning them to
Second-class status.
Piety used as an
Excuse to subjugate.
If they’re on top then
Someone’s at the bottom.
Absence of light in his eyes,
Extinguished long ago
By the very people
Who could have kindled it –
Cared for him as a
Precious gift.
Some stories don’t end
The way we might wish,
Meandering in some awful
Direction instead,
Consuming themselves and us –
Unconscious coldness.
He doesn’t lack certainty,
Absolutely sure that
Hardness is the best path
To everything, it’s
What he knows, the only
Thing he recognizes.
I have the misfortune of
Watching a video of him
Giving a talk to an approving
Audience where he smugly
Suggests that there is
Nothing more to destroying a
Caring individual than to
Change the argument,
Cast the kind person as evil,
And then ride in to save
The day with shockingly
Simplistic and disingenuous
Schemes that hurt people.
A significant, sad number of
Individuals in the vastly
Wealthy nation declare
That providing health care
For all human beings is
Ridiculous, that the
Well-being of each person is
A privilege and not a right,
That the common good is but a
Quaint idea dreamed up by
Soft, delusional weirdos who
Don’t understand that all
That matters is helping the
Wealthy prosper while
Cheering perpetual war
And laughing at the poor.
I guess it must be
Written somewhere that
We shouldn’t take care
Of those less fortunate
Than us, that we should
Make paupers suffer
Because, after all,
They’re just lazy and
Deserve to live in squalor
While all the resources are
diverted to the ruling class.
In a sudden moment of clarity,
She realizes that he never
Respected her.
In retrospect it seems so clear,
The constant belittling,
Snide remarks, manipulation.
A pervasive pattern of control
Passed off as caring,
Actions intended to subjugate.
She tells herself it can’t be true,
While knowing deep inside
It always has been.
Every action directed at
Undermining vital institutions,
Weakening structures
That support the vulnerable,
Propelling a heartless agenda
Condemning the disadvantaged to
Perpetual suffering,
Feigning a smile while
Dismantling democracy,
The aristocracy ruthlessly
Asserts itself, yet again.
