Under the guise of
Revering personal freedom,
A huckster carny
Palavers to dismantle
Vital institutions that
Build civilized societies
A pernicious warrior declaring
That government should be
Severely curbed, for no other
Reason than an appalling
Absence of caring, compassion,
Sense of community.
Affecting an appearance of
Piety while harboring
Vitriolic hatred toward
People who aren’t like him.
Many have paid the price
For his unchecked
Emotional instability and
Tormented tirades.
They couldn’t say anything
For fear of being destroyed
By a roaring avalanche
Of twitching authoritarianism.
He started with
A single restaurant,
The first franchisee
In a small town.
Constantly toiling
To make a decent living,
Persevering through
Countless challenges.
Over the years,
His business grew and
He eventually owned
Many establishments.
He celebrates his
Good fortune by
Keeping his employees’
Wages exceptionally low.
Organizing a spaghetti feed
For a sick child
Instead of supporting
Universal health care.
Raising funds for local schools,
Then voting for people who
Cut education funding and
Endeavor to privatize it.
Gathering clothes
For the poor while
Demonstrating against
A living wage.
Commonplace paradoxes,
Caring people destroying things
They claim to support.
Unhealthy contradictions.
It’s been this way
For so long that they
Don’t even think twice
About what happens to
The people they
Offhandedly discard.
Try to talk to them
About fairness or
Compassion, they’ll
Proclaim it’s a dog-eat-dog
World and you have to
Fight for what’s yours.
A profane melee over
Material wealth and
Superficial status,
Someone always loses –
Left in ruin while
Nobody sheds a tear.
A limited amount of
Everything for everyone.
A few people seize most of it,
The rest don’t.
Sharing is not a virtue
In the realm of self-interest.
Engorged with blood,
Plutocrats nap comfortably.
Things are great when you
Possess virtually everything.
Unappetizing crumbs for
Everyone else.
He’s concocted a story about
Being passed up for
A promotion due to some kind of
Supposedly unfair quota.
Diseased ego deflated —
Hurt feelings —
Perceived loss of face.
Rather than bounce back,
He takes it as a personal slight and
Mounts an ever-growing campaign of
Vitriolic vituperations and
Dramatic diatribes against his
Alleged oppressor,
Ignorant privilege flailing.
He affirms that he’ll never stop
Taking action against the
Nefarious system that bestowed
The spoils upon someone else.
Given the opportunity to
Change the course of world history,
He takes small caterpillar bites,
Leaving hole-riddled leaves
Unable to sustain themselves or
The tree they live on.
One small taste provokes another.
A vulnerable organism succumbs,
Rapacious parasite feasting on
Weakened frame.
He stands satisfied,
Planning the next insult.
They make momentous decisions
Overwhelmingly based on
What benefits them
At any given moment,
Not what might help the many,
Impulsive determinations,
Carelessly executed
To quiet whatever
Discomfort they’re feeling
And refuse to address in a
Healthy manner.
