poems about justice

Their Futures

He looks out the window
At the street where his
Children played happily,
Where every house was
Tended to, where neighbors
Said hi to each other and
Talked about work down at
The plant, their dreams
For their kids, their
Upcoming family vacation,
Their steps up the ladder.
All gone now, replaced by
Derelict shells the
City will eventually
Tear down, lifeless
Shells where once regular
People enjoyed life
And planned their futures.

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How Much You Care

Please don’t tell me
How much you
Care about others or
Give to charity
Or what a big heart
You have when
You brazenly and
Unapologetically support
Policies that destroy
The poor and vulnerable
Who need help
Rather than scorn.

Inhabitants

Though from many different
Backgrounds and life
Experiences, they all share
A single unifying philosophy
Of being on your own,
Depending on yourself,
Becoming successful without
Any help from anyone,
Overlooking the elemental
Idea that we do not live in
Isolation but are more
Connected and interdependent
Than at any time in history,
That we don’t exist
In a vacuum but, rather,
Are all inhabitants of one
Fragile planet where we have
The choice of competing
Mercilessly, savagely
Preying on one another, or
Finding the compassion to
Help each other thrive.

Squeezed

They cackle with delight,
Dead eyes scanning,
Almost disbelieving their
Outlandishly good fortune.
All the controls lifted,
Free to do as they please.
Every sentinel paid off to
Look the other way,
Pretend the intentional
Slaughter is a fabrication.

A carefully orchestrated
Assembly line pumps out
Shoddy detritus destined for
Complacent rubes who
Acquiescently walk up,
Eager to be fleeced by their
Destroyers.
Squeezed from every direction
Until no option remains but to
Join the nameless.

Absent

Raging against government,
The parts they don’t agree with,
The measures that help people or
Limit the ability of would-be
Tyrants to trample on others.

Hoisting the flag of the nation
They don’t believe in,
Systematically undermining
All semblance of society
In the name of freedom.

Concocting a government
In their own image:
Brutal, callous,
Selfish, self-serving,
Basic decency absent.

Complicated

After arduous talks,
An agreement is reached
That attempts to
Decrease the likelihood
Of violent cataclysm.

The same vociferous group
Predictably rants about
How everyone is now
More vulnerable
To future attacks.

Diplomacy complicated
By reactionaries obsessed
With punishment and who
See no other options
Other than war.

Bottom Line

She knows exactly what
She makes each two-week
Period and carefully
Checks her bank account
To make sure the funds
Have been deposited.

A finite amount of money
Means careful planning
To make sure ends meet
And everything is taken
Care of, barely enough
To make it each month.

Each trip to the supermarket
Means smaller bath soap,
Less cereal, fewer items
In almost every box,
Her unchanging bottom line
Continually strained.

Humanity

Inside every living
Human being resides
The secret to
Solving all the world’s
Problems, a beautiful
Light shining brightly,
Promising love, hope,
Unconditional compassion.
We know it exists
Because countless
People each day do
Something kind or
Selfless for someone
Else for no other
Reason than because of
Their common humanity.

Let Me Tell You Something

Let me tell you
Something about
The world: It’s a
Cold, dark, savage
Place where the only
Way to survive is to
Kill or be killed.

Forget all this
Touchy-feely stuff
About diversity or
Diplomacy, the only
Thing people understand
Is a harsh slap
Across the face.

My bomb is bigger
Than yours, that’s all
That matters, your
Ideas about peace and
Collaboration are
Only naive
Pipe dreams.