Hardened heart – unwhole –
Hoarding all his stuff,
The kid in the sandbox who won’t
Share his toys,
Hunkering down —
Frowning uncutely,
All the other kids
Uncomfortable.
Grows up,
No change – same story.
Lack of introspection
Cultivating circle of harshness,
Advancing suffering.
Bully in a suit,
Lifeless face,
Anesthetized eyes.
Under the pretense of
Tradition,
They support and perpetuate
The subjugation of
Vulnerable people,
Power being the sole objective,
Not any made-up story of
Adhering to long-standing custom,
Disgraceful lust for
Domination and superiority.
Dismantle
Great equalizer,
Critically wound the
Promise of opportunity,
Regardless of station.
Under the guise of
Reform, merit, competition,
Eviscerate it,
Weaken its foundation
Piece by piece.
Democracy deflated,
Increasing divide,
Advantaged versus unprivileged.
Self-perpetuating inferno,
Burgeoning underclass.
A small child dreams of the day
She’ll have a home of her own;
A room without others in it;
Food to calm her hunger for
More than a few hours; a
School to attend for at least
A month; friends she can
Play with for a long while.
Experience clouding her face.
Etched by one heartbreak after another.
In an imposing, cavernous enclosure,
A stolid old man stands up;
Condemns her kind;
Retires to an opulent office,
Lunch, home.
Pity the executives,
So many problems all at once,
Horrible hiring woes,
We can’t find trained people,
Can’t hire anyone else,
Won’t cut into record profits.
Sluggish economy lurches unsteadily,
Gilded few sip champagne
On the Riviera,
Let a few more employees go,
Gather all the chips
With sleazy smiles.
Reeking piles of money fondled
In open defiance of
Working stiffs,
Keep that back limber,
No health care for you
Part-timer,
A country going under
Plutocratic thumbs.
What’s it like to live scared?
Certain that someone is always
At the back door, eager to harm.
To flinch at the slightest sound,
Assume offensive posture. Sleep with
One eye open. Throbbing memories.
What’s it like to live courageously?
Understand that risk is real,
Not pervasive. Embrace the
Kindness and compassion that is
Present at every turn. Welcome
Inner and outer peace.
Attach the label,
Accusatory scarlet letter,
Moral failing, character flaw,
Stamp of inadequacy.
Point a crooked finger,
Their fault, they’re lazy,
Not enterprising and
Hard-working like us.
Gilded mantle of
Success and civilization,
Gentility personified,
There but for chance.
Systematic pattern of
Control. Relentlessly
Dictate behaviors, thoughts,
Feelings, experiences.
Obligatory blindfold
Keeps out the light,
Walking unsteadily in a
Realm of mystery,
Uncertainty,
More complex than necessary,
Superstition supersedes.
Compliant, prostrate
Supplicant,
Managed from above.
Gap widening,
One group can’t see
What’s happening
On the other side.
Toiling fruitlessly,
Unable to lift their
Heads up long enough to
Envision any future.
Another lavish shopping spree,
Put the bags down in a
Closet the size of
An apartment.
Call your friend about the
Next trip to St. Barth,
In a kitchen, a father
Stares at dirty dishes.
