As always,
There’s no use arguing,
He’s not seeing
The issue from a
Rational perspective,
Mired in fear,
Listening skills limited
To non-existent
On the best day,
He hangs onto
Assorted fantasies
Because they prop up
His sense of himself.
He fancies himself
A fine person,
Upstanding member of
His community,
A family man of
Excellent moral character,
Responsible, productive,
A good friend to
Those who know him.
He stands on a
Dusty strip of land
In the glaring, hot sun,
Shouting angrily at
Frightened children,
Who know nothing else
But that they and their
Loved ones have
Nothing to eat.
Stay out of our
Business, we don’t
Like meddlers.
We take care of
Ourselves out here,
Don’t need your help.
Self-reliance is
Our way of life,
We make our own fortunes.
The dust covers everything,
A gritty blanket of
Dream-erasing misery.
Fervent independence
Falls by the wayside
As fields wither, lives unravel.
Urgent calls
For government help
Arise in chorus.
It’s a frigid day
In Antarctica and
In the hearts of
Five pompous penguins appointed
To make lofty decisions.
Deferring to a small group
Of the fattest birds,
They cackle self-righteously
While funneling sustenance
To the select few.
Their benefactors
Squawk knowingly and
Slip them a few extra fish
While multitudes
Starve on the shore.
Clad in armor
Fit for war,
Weapons ready to
Subdue radicals.
Public square
Hurriedly vacated,
Fleeing through
Smoke and water.
Voices stilled
This day but
Never permanently,
Indomitable spirit.
Perverting everything
To support a brutally
Selfish worldview,
Welfare for the rich,
Cast everyone else aside.
Nothing hinders
The inexorable march
For power and spoils,
The hoarding of putrid symbols
Of external satisfaction.
Unaware, uninformed,
A passive populace observes
The overt assault,
Predators circling
Another helpless wretch.
Ruthlessly punishing
Human beings who advocate for
Justice and fairness.
Siding with
Ghoulish defenders of
A toxic status quo.
Fearing a takeover
By people who care about
The common good.
Problems are unsolvable
If one can’t envision people
Working together to find a solution.
Kindness is impossible if one
Can’t fathom a world where
People are kind to one another.
Compassion is fantasy if one
Can’t care for oneself or feel
The suffering of others.
He’s very self-satisfied
About asking disingenuous
Questions designed to
Deflect from the issue at hand,
Spewing fallacious reasoning
Intended to denigrate sincere people
Rather than addressing
What they’re advocating for,
A posture born of insecurity,
Privilege, and a need to dominate
Rather than listen to others’ plight,
Cavalierly dismissing issues,
As long as they don’t affect him.
