poems about power

Top of the Food Chain

Everything was just grand
For the Johnson family
When they were swimming
In money, living in the
Right neighborhood,
Associating with the
Toniest socialites,
Disparaging people
Who weren’t as fortunate,
And just enjoying the
Perks of being at
The top of the food chain.
All that changed when
Circumstances beyond
Anyone’s control emptied
Their pockets, leaving them
Destitute and looked down upon
By their former best friends.

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Awful Agenda

Unable to feel for
Anyone but himself,
He doubles down on
The only thing he knows:
Putting others down
In order to garner support
For his transparently
Awful agenda,
Cruelty for its own sake,
Pandering to the
Darkest impulses of
His damaged followers.

She Gets to Keep Her Car

Short on money for bills
Again this week and unable
To get an advance from either
Of her jobs, she sees an
Upbeat ad on TV assuring
Her that she can get the
Cash she needs if she
Just owns a vehicle.
She walks into the place,
Glances at all the people
Who look just like her.
She signs over her car title,
They let her know the great part
Is that she gets to keep her car,
That it will only be taken away
When she is unable to
Pay back the loan.

A Position

Starting from a position
That everyone is broken
And each person is on
His or her own doesn’t
Leave much room for
Empathy or optimism.
Routine condemnation
Does nothing to alleviate
The suffering of untold
Millions who work hard
To eke out a living and
Would be doing much
Better had not people who
View them as deficient
Designed a trap to keep
Them where they are.

First World Problems

Ugh, I can’t believe I have
To take my car in again,
Which means I’ll miss my
Haircut appointment which
Is always so hard to schedule,
Such a pain. Maybe I can stop
By the coffee place…
Oh, I forgot, of course,
They’re closed for remodeling,
Now I have to go to the
Place down the street that
Doesn’t have Wi-Fi,
Or my favorite drink, great.
I can’t function this way,
Guess we can’t all be lucky.

I Stay at Home

Brother goes off to school
While I stay at home
Tending to the boiling pot
On the stove, scrubbing the
Floor to a fine shine,
Cleaning the streaks off the windows,
Dreaming of being in a classroom
Traveling to colorful new worlds.

Vortex

Sitting by himself
In a staid office,
Accompanied by all
The memories that
Have hardened him
Beyond reason,
A gnarled knot of
Repressed pain issuing
Decisions that routinely
Damage human beings,
A violent vortex
Nothing escapes.

Thanks for Explaining

Thanks for explaining
That to me, it was
Far too complicated for
Someone of my gender to
Understand. I’m so glad I
Have someone like you to
Tell me what everything means,
Especially considering that
I have no brain of my own to
Process such things and
Hate having to
Think for myself since I
Only have a doctorate.