When it became apparent
That things would not
Be as I wished, I still
Held out hope,
Surely there is another way,
One that won’t hurt
So much, that won’t
Make me hate myself.
Many years later,
Everything remains
The same, externally,
Though inside I still
Harbor some slight
Optimism that things
Will change though
They likely won’t.
They come out
In droves,
Reasserting their
Flagging supremacy,
Sending a message
That they’re not
Done yet with this
Unearned position
Seized by force.
History will reveal
Who they really are.
We’re the ones who wouldn’t
Pay taxes to support schools,
Who fought to deny
Medical care to millions,
Applauded as money was
Taken from working families and
Channeled to the wealthy,
Cheered when corporations became people,
Laughed as the planet overheated.
We’re the ones who self-righteously
Imposed our beliefs on others,
Encouraged discrimination,
Vilified anyone who didn’t agree with us,
Mocked vulnerable groups.
We’re the ones who
Voted in insurrectionists who
Broke the government and
Eroded democracy,
We sat in our castles,
Hoarding our gold,
Looked the other way
When everyone needed help,
Scoffed at the idea that we’re
All in this together.
They say you’re supposed to
Leave the world a little better
Than when you found it,
We didn’t.
He feels left behind,
Like he doesn’t
Matter anymore.
Things used to be
So different,
Opportunity abounded.
He and his buddies
Could always count on
A job at the plant.
Then the companies went away,
Leaving behind
Confusion and anger.
He wants to turn it all
Upside down,
Tear everything apart.
He entrusts
The wrong people
To do it.
Reducing human beings
To categories and fates,
A lamentable history of
Imposed disparity,
Lapse of humanity.
Margaret hadn’t voted
Her entire life but felt
That this election would
Affect the course of the
Country for many years to
Come. She registered and
Looked forward to having
Her voice be heard;
She even encouraged some of
Her neighbors to join her.
She got a ride to the polls
On election day, where she
Was told that she didn’t
Have the proper identification.
Looking back over
The history of the world,
It becomes apparent that,
While we could all
Easily live together and
Share resources,
There is always some
Individual or group that
Gains power due to physical size,
Financial strength,
Uncontrollable ambition,
A pathological need to dominate,
And decides it’s a
Great idea to horde
Everything for themselves,
The same creatures
Who brought you every
Monarchy, dictatorship,
Slavery-driven economy,
Separate, unequal society
We’ve ever known
Because they are the
Ones who stop at nothing
To impose their will.
As has been the unfortunate
But not inevitable story since
The dawn of civilization,
A significant portion of
The populace is unable or unwilling
To feel another’s plight,
Help someone other than themselves,
Thus complicating the entire concept of
Building an equitable society,
Where people work together with
The understanding that each of their parts
Contributes to a greater whole
Benefiting everyone rather than
Wildly enriching a few opportunists.
As always, they are driven by a fervent
Belief that government should get out of the way,
Let them do whatever they want,
Leave the victims to fend for themselves,
Sever the social contract,
Throw the common good into the fire,
Allow unrestrained exploitation by the
Most aggressive and powerful in a
Violent coliseum that only exists when
The countervailing voice is silenced.
Over and over,
They look
The other way
As children
Are killed,
Money and power
Being much more
Important than
Decency.
