poems about power

Wounded

Arising from deep pain,
Struggles etched into psyche,
Internalized oppression crushing
Innocence – hope – independence,
Self-relegated to subservience.

Awarded the opportunity to succeed,
Leveling of the playing field
Mandated by people who understand
It’s not balanced, lingering specter of
Institutionalized marginalization.

With a dismissive sneer,
Chooses to take the shackles of
His forefathers and clasp them
Back on innocent wrists, ankles,
Wounded and wounding.

Get the Poetry Collection
Unconventional Being - Minimalist Poetry Book by Guy Farmer

Readers around the world have found pieces of themselves in these poems. Discover the collection.

Get Your Copy on Amazon

Skewer

He used to effortlessly
Skewer them with irreverent,
Joyously witty, satiric commentary,
Bringing down the haves
With a single clever line,
Speaking truth to power.

At some point something changed.
Eyes dead, demeanor cold,
Disjointed, rambling, uncomfortable
Harangues against the vulnerable.
Selling his soul to fear,
Shilling for his new masters.

Unhelpful

Thank you for calling,
I can most certainly not
Assist you with that,
Nor do I have any
Inclination to do so.

We know that you have
Few to no other choices,
So we’re happy to
Provide you with careless,
Unhelpful service.

Again, I can’t do that,
It would require that
We care in any way for
Anything beyond separating
You from your money.

Change Settles In

Dust accumulating,
Unperceived at first,
Difficult to clean
Once it’s past a
Certain point.

A gradual erosion of
The riverbank by
A changing current,
Carving away
Vital ground.

Change settles in,
Water warming to a boil,
Unwitting shift in attitude,
Things have always been
This way.

Interplay

At an ordinary
Business meeting,
She finds herself in
An impromptu exchange
About an issue that
Deeply affects women,
Casually but passionately
Argued by a colleague
Who has made her views
Known on more than one
Previous occasion.
After listening for some time,
She shares that
She’s no feminist but
That she thinks women
Should be able to
Make decisions for themselves,
Unintentionally advocating for and
Limiting her own power,
An unconscious interplay between
Patriarchal, hierarchical
Upbringing – programming
On one shoulder,
Self-determination
On the other.
The struggles of those
Who came before her disregarded,
Inadvertent setback,
The conversation shifts.

Upstanding

He fancies himself
A fine person,
Upstanding member of
His community,
A family man of
Excellent moral character,
Responsible, productive,
A good friend to
Those who know him.

He stands on a
Dusty strip of land
In the glaring, hot sun,
Shouting angrily at
Frightened children,
Who know nothing else
But that they and their
Loved ones have
Nothing to eat.

Steal

The voices won’t
Leave him alone,
Abiding insecurity
Gnaws at his being.

It’s entirely possible
In his mind that someone
Will burst through the door
At any moment.

They’ll steal his things,
Desecrate his domain,
Leave him penniless,
Vulnerable, destitute.

It’s always that way
With freeloaders,
They take what they want
And hurt good people.

He vows to do everything
Possible so that those
Leeches don’t get anything
That’s rightfully his.

Self-Reliance

Stay out of our
Business, we don’t
Like meddlers.

We take care of
Ourselves out here,
Don’t need your help.

Self-reliance is
Our way of life,
We make our own fortunes.

The dust covers everything,
A gritty blanket of
Dream-erasing misery.

Fervent independence
Falls by the wayside
As fields wither, lives unravel.

Urgent calls
For government help
Arise in chorus.

Feeding the Beast

The plutocrats’ envoy
Sits comfortably across from the
Predictably deferential journalist,
Smugly spouting platitudes about
Fairness and an even playing field.
Carefully scripted deceptions
Disguise dark ulterior motives.

From his lounge chair,
He nods approvingly,
You tell those lame media jerks.
Around him the infrastructure crumbles,
He recently lost his job,
Gas prices sky high,
Feeding the beast.