poems about justice

Misgivings

He throws his entire
History, and that of
People like him, into
The abyss because
His compulsion to please his
Oppressors is stronger
Than his ability to
Fight for decency.

Late at night,
When it’s too quiet to
Ignore his misgivings,
Unpleasant thoughts
Permeating his spirit,
He fights back
Tears of rage,
Permanently suppressed.

Furthering the aims
Of persecutors who could
Not care less for him,
Or anyone vaguely
Resembling him,
To be discarded like
Rubbish when he’s
No longer useful.

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Defined

Defending the vulnerable,
Not because he craves
Accolades or seeks to
Reserve a special place in
A public square with his
Name on it, but due to
His unshakable belief in
The human spirit and the
Resplendence of forgiveness,
Compassion, the realization
That no one is defined by
A single act but rather
Where their promise lies.

Not a Care in the World

Sneaking in with more than
A little help from his cronies,
He proceeds to destroy
Everything in sight,
Glorifying stupidity,
Exalting anti-intellectualism,
Wrecking the most basic
Of institutions, replacing them
With phony facades,
Watching with glee as the
Lemmings jump off the cliff,
Retiring to enjoy a
Lavish lifestyle funded by
The blood of many locked away in
Offshore bank accounts,
Not a care in the world.

Grumble

A person,
Given all the power,
Takes a moment,
Decides to change the world.
Helps the few,
Ignores the many.
An avalanche.
Mountains crumble,
Structures tumble,
A general grumble.

The Norm

It doesn’t have to
Be this way.
Companies can make
A lot of money and
Pay their employees well.
CEOs can pay themselves
Slightly less,
Build one less mansion,
So that their workers
Can buy a car,
Afford a mortgage,
Send their kids
To college,
Take a vacation,
Set some money aside,
Enjoy life.
Inequality doesn’t
Have to be the norm
Unless those at the top
Want it to be.

Reversing History

He closed his eyes and
Let go of the last vestige of
Humanity. A worship of the
Material, compassion
Succumbing to brute
Force of self-interest,
Fear, lust for power.

He opened his eyes and
Saw the opportunities to
Comfort, care, build a
Future of hope and love.
Growing expansively,
Openly, altruistically,
Reversing history.

Persona

At some point
There is a closing
Of the mind,
A numbing of the heart,
An inability to feel
The suffering of others
In any meaningful way,
A grim resignation.

A hardened persona
Forged from years of
Suffering, or perhaps
Only one traumatic moment,
Unable to reach out from
It’s own pain and
Connect with others
Who are hurting.

Bearer of the Standard

A man self-made through the
Uncompensated toil of countless
Beings, mistreated, unconsidered,
Property in a ledger.

Affluence and individuality wrapped
In a banner of civility and tradition.
Hushed voices in ramshackle surroundings
Document a different story.

Proud, self-sufficient, bearer of
The standard, the vulnerable are
Expended, fortifying social standing,
Fueling savage prosperity.

Speaking to a Group of Factory Workers

Speaking to a group of
Factory workers, he
Conveniently fails to
Mention that he is
A proud union buster,
The kind of person who
Shafts the little guy
To favor corporations
Dedicated to paying their
Employees as little as
They possibly can
Get away with
Before anyone notices that
All the money is going
In one direction.