They tinker around the edges,
Making changes that have no
Real effect and often weaken
The underlying structure.
They claim it’s all about
Accountability, performance,
But it’s really about dismantling
Institutions that help the public.
Never mentioned at any point is
The necessity to fully fund
Meaningful programs that
Benefit the vulnerable.
The hard-working
Son of a sharecropper,
He leaves the sweltering
Heat of his small shack
And walks down a
Dirt road toward the
Center of town,
Where all the
Tidy buildings beckon
And well-appointed citizens
Stroll through clean,
Tree-lined streets,
Nodding to each other,
And where he’s never
Felt quite welcome.
He remembers the stories
His parents told him
When he was a child.
“Everything will be okay,”
She reassured me, but
I knew that this time was
Different, I had seen it
In history books, where
Things start to unravel
Due to some strange
Confluence of events and
The people who cause them;
Unbalanced, undesirable,
Leading in an entirely
Alarming direction.
Bright, shiny,
Absolutely beautiful.
Bursting with excitement,
Potential, optimism, intelligence.
A whole life of
Unlimited possibilities awaits,
Places to go, people to meet,
Dreams to be made real.
Not so fast,
We do things a certain way
In this family,
In this town.
Clamp on rusty shackles of
Societal expectations, constrictions.
Know your place,
Be a good girl.
Things haven’t been
Going too well lately
In our little town.
Sure, we’re still proud of
Where we’ve been and
Who we are but
Times are tough,
You gotta do what
You gotta do.
Yesterday the senior center
Shut down, tomorrow the
Food pantry closes its doors,
A week ago the high school
Told kids to share books,
Music and art programs
Disappeared years ago.
Tough choices,
It’s gotta be done.
She talks about
An entire system
Set up to benefit
One group of people
Who never have to reflect
On why things are this way or
What it does to those
Not favored.
The people she’s talking with
All react with
Defensive outrage,
Proving her point,
Unaware of their privilege.
It’s become some
Sort of sick joke,
Essential staples becoming
Cheaper, smaller,
A brazen ripoff.
In some opulent room in
Another vainglorious high-rise,
A group of self-satisfied
Men in tailored suits
Justify their existence by
Reducing the size of
Vital necessities.
They break for lunch,
Boasting about how they
Just scored some more
Money for the one percent,
Squeezing and discarding
Everyone else.
Deposit your hard-earned
Money with us,
We’ll take care of you.
By the way,
There’s a minimum balance
Required to keep your account open.
There’s a fee
If you dip below the balance
At any time, for any reason.
We should mention that
There’s a charge
For using your debit card.
Oh, there’s also a
Fee if you use the ATM
More than a couple of times.
Rest assured, we’ll make sure to wait
To deposit your funds to increase
The chance of overdrafts.
We love to charge you
To use your money
To enrich ourselves.
Thank you for
Banking with us,
We appreciate your business.
A vocal minority
Works tirelessly
To eradicate
Compassion
Empathy
Kindness
Community
From the lexicon.
Decisions made
By militant
Misanthropes
Affecting
Millions
Who value
Caring for
Others.
