It’s clear
He doesn’t
Feel a thing
When he talks
About killing
The youth.
Compassion absent,
He mechanically
Recounts how
He wouldn’t
Change a thing,
Just another day.
Standing at the counter
Of the emergency room
Trying to get help
For her ailing husband
Clutching his chest.
It happened suddenly,
He was sent home from
His landscaping job
When the pain had
Become unmanageable.
The paperwork makes
No sense to her,
Her fifth grade daughter
Deciphers as much
As she can.
They hold each other’s
Hands and their
Own breaths,
Waiting for his
Name to be called.
Outrageous
Injustice,
Plain to see
To everyone but
The transgressors
Who perpetuate
Maltreatment.
Indifferent
To the plight,
Pain, systematic
Violation faced by
People who
Have never had
Another choice.
Create a narrative of
Fear and urgency.
Demonize
Your opponents.
Make them
An other.
Extol your
Virtue and superiority.
Pander to
Base instincts.
Carry out the plan
Mercilessly.
Spreading fear
With impunity,
Imposing the will of
A scared
Authoritarian
Patriarchy
Through force.
Relentless campaign of
Intimidation
Waged by baton,
Overwhelmingly targeting
Minorities and
Disenfranchised
Human beings who dare
Protest the status quo.
Shills for those who
Resent any
Opposition
To their power.
She woke up, looked outside,
Went to the kitchen where she
Prepared a pot of tea,
Settled into her favorite chair,
The birds outside flitting about
Without a care in the world,
And continued thinking about
What had happened.
Using huge numbers of
Temporary workers in order
To not have to hire them
Through their own companies and
Take on the responsibility of
Nurturing an employee.
Behemoth temp firms
Colluding to rig the system,
Covert and overt disdain for
Honest working people
Just trying to make it
Against the odds.
So, anyway, as I was saying,
I wasn’t sure if I should tell him
But, if I don’t, it’ll just get worse,
And that’s not good for anyone.
Of course, I could hold off and
Let him know on some other occasion,
But then there’s that thing that
Happened last time when I
Had the same conundrum.
A monument to one
Belief system
Unilaterally
Raised in front of
A public building.
Morally uplifting,
Righteous, sacred,
Manifestation of
Dictated certitude,
Relentless campaign.
Unidimensional truth,
Authoritarian imposition
Without regard for
Diversity, divergence.
Intolerance incarnate.
