poems about justice

Assemblage

An assemblage of
Caring individuals.
Moms, dads, children,
Brothers, sisters,
Grandmothers, grandfathers,
Aunts, uncles, cousins,
Friends, trades people,
Professors, teachers,
Business owners,
Students, factory workers,
Truckers, public employees,
Pilots, retail workers,
Writers, artists;
Representatives from
Every slice of life,
March down the street
Standing up for the vast
Majority of the citizenry,
An earnest call for greater
Equality, opportunity.
From windows above,
They nudge each other,
Laugh, and shout,
“Get a job!”

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Without Explanation

He grew up on the
Side of town where
Crumbling dwellings
Were interspersed with
Warehouses and junkyards.

Walking in neighborhoods
Where orderly houses and
Manicured lawns gleamed,
He felt watched;
An object of suspicion.

Someone once alerted the
Police chief to his presence,
That he was surely up to no good.
He spent two days in jail,
Released without explanation.

Alcohol and Amusements

Don’t worry
About a thing.

We’ve got it
Under control.

No need to
Think about anything.

Sit down,
Relax.

Enjoy some numbing
Alcohol and amusements.

Everything’s
Fine.

If that doesn’t work,
We’ll impose martial law.

Shoes

He spots the well-dressed
Business man walking toward
Him and eagerly asks him
Whether he wants a shoe shine.

Kneeling in front of
The man, he goes about his
Magic, buffing and polishing
With a friendly smile.

The ritual ends with a
Diffident request for payment.
The man reaches in his pocket
And tosses him a pittance.

The day passes,
One customer at a time,
Staring at the shoes
Of the powerful.

Plunge

Cutting all
The lifelines.

Boats set adrift,
Heading toward nowhere.

A roiling sea
Gulping them whole.

You’re on your own
In this world.

Don’t expect us
To help you.

Sad spiraling
Plunge to the bottom.

There Will Always Be Poverty

With a shrug of
His shoulders he
Says that there
Will always be poverty,
And, unknowingly, with
That one pronouncement,
Millions, billions, of
People are relegated to
Being poor, simply
Because this one
Woefully misinformed person
And everyone like him,
Have bought into the lie that
It has to be this way.

At the Helm

Somber hall,
Air of sanctity,
Robed men enter slowly.

At the helm,
The one with the
Biggest hat.

Instructive incantations,
Solemn reminders of
Established order.

Not officiating,
Nor allowed to,
Women.

Deliberation

Waiting at the bus stop,
Breath visible under
Orange street light.
Step on, find a seat,
Watch the city pass by,
Imagining what goes on
Behind each window,
An occasional figure
Headed somewhere.
Punch in, work until
Wrists, arms, shoulders,
Back, legs protest.
Ride home, paycheck
Nestled in pocket,
Familiar deliberation,
Which bill to pay.

Clique

Erudite clique meets
To devise the latest
Brilliant plan.

On the agenda:
Relentlessly eliminate
Critical programs.

Austere measures
Imposed regardless
Of outcomes.

Steady diet of
Scarcity,
Starvation.

Hobble it
Until it can’t
Do anything.