poems about justice

The Only Reality He’s Ever Known

The only reality he’s
Ever known is wealth and
Privilege (and the
Narrative concocted by
His family to make it
Seem like all their
Good fortune happened
Through determined toil
Rather than by some
Relative many years ago
Who happened to be at
A favorable place at an
Advantageous time and who
Never let it be forgotten
That it was his superior
Mettle and exertion that
Made the whole thing possible,
Not the bit about
Taking advantage of others
For personal gain),
Which makes it really easy
For him to denigrate those
Who have far less than him.

Get the Poetry Collection
Unconventional Being - Minimalist Poetry Book by Guy Farmer

Readers around the world have found pieces of themselves in these poems. Discover the collection.

Get Your Copy on Amazon

A Better Day

Stately columns adorning
A shaded portico,
Stately oaks lining
A shaded lane,
Lush, sultry greenery,
Small decrepit cabins nearby,
Inhabited by enslaved human beings
Whose toil builds ever-larger
Mansions where rulers
Live off the forced labor
Of others who have no choice
But to hope for a better day.

Toeing the Line

It’s all smiles and
Warmth until he decides
That the prevailing
Beliefs are not his
Cup of tea, that’s when
A side he’s never seen
Before rears it’s head,
A writhing creature
Bristling with
Reproach and suspicion
At the prospect of
Someone not toeing the line,
Forcing them to reflect
On who they really are.

Barely Getting By

A giant corporation making
Billions doesn’t pay any taxes
While a family of four
Barely getting by on
Two minimum wage jobs does.

Echo Chamber

He fancies himself a
Person of above-average
Intellect, a distinction
Which allows him to make
Pronouncements about all
Kinds of thorny topics
About which he has little or
No expertise, except in
His own mind, building a
Rather robust echo chamber
Where the only thing that
Matters is what he thinks and
No other point of view has
Any hope of getting in,
A complete divorce from any
Verifiable facts, which
Leads him to
Make decisions that
Deeply hurt others.

Playing Games with Other People’s Money

A wealthy banker
Playing games with
Other people’s money,
His slippery maneuvers
Causing the economy itself
To collapse, buried under
An avalanche of deceit,
Gets paid hundreds
Of times more than
The diligent person
Washing his dishes at the
Upscale restaurant he
Frequents for lunch.

A Country That Lost Its Way

Allow me to tell
You a lovely little story
About a country that
Lost its way because it
Believed in hatred and
Division rather than
The common good and love.
It’s the tale of every
Civilization that has
Come crashing down while
Shrugging its shoulders
And wondering why it
Happened, human beings utterly
Convinced that competition
And conflict are more important
Than helping one another succeed,
People who don’t understand
We’re all in this together.

What’s Best for You

Don’t worry
Your pretty little head,
I will choose
What’s best for you,
I will guide you
Down this difficult road,
I will make all
The decisions about
Your body,
I will stop
At nothing to
Maintain my
Cowardly control.

Eyesore

The shanties spill over
The top of the hills
Until they meet
The gleaming luxury
High-rises housing
People who complain
About what an eyesore
It is to look out on
A bunch of poor people.