I don’t care
What you say,
I’m going to
Walk over there,
Right now, and
Sit on that waffle.
No one could identify the exact
Moment when he turned the corner.
It might have been the death of his
Brother, or an unexpected call
Announcing he was to be a father, or
His hours being cut at the plant.
Regardless, he showed no exterior
Signs of discomfort except for the
Occasional grumpy comment.
He went on as if everything was
Business as usual, the new him
Gradually revealed.
I don’t care when I kill a dream
Unintentionally and do
Everything in my power to
Not think about it much.
I hate when I kill a dream
Unintentionally and do
Everything in my power to
Reverse the flow.
She dares speak her mind,
Asking for equality –
A chance to succeed
Unencumbered by antiquated
Notions about what
She can and can’t do.
Upsetting confining structures
Erected by insecure tyrants
Who bristle when their
Dominance is questioned.
A simple plea for fairness
Met with scathing reproach,
Urgent calls for retribution
Because she has the temerity
To ask to be treated with
Dignity and respect rather
Than be relegated to what
They deem her place.
The programs they devour
Have so twisted their
Thinking through
Misdirection,
Misinformation,
Misguided manipulation,
That they are
No longer able to
Distinguish
Fact from fiction,
Make rational choices.
You could have just told me that
You didn’t want to see me any
Longer instead of inviting me to
The party so I could be an
Eyewitness to the horrifying
Spectacle of you greatly enjoying
Someone else’s company.
It might have saved my heart from
Hemorrhaging behind a freakishly
Plastered-on smile and compulsive,
Frail attempts at humor.
Spasming, freshly wounded.
It crept up on me.
I didn’t realize how attached
I was to my original idea or
How hard it would be to
Reshape my conception now
Rendered meaningless.
An unsolicited shattering of
Comfortable routine,
Shaking me awake,
Reminding me there is
A lot of work left to do.
Such a beautiful
Baby girl.
Let’s teach her how to be
A little lady.
Let’s fill her with
Fear and self-loathing.
Let’s tell her that
She should answer to men.
Let’s advise her not to trust
Her own voice.
Let’s encourage her to
Do our bidding.
Let’s rejoice as she
Defends her oppressors.
A brilliant idea,
Saving the economy
By decimating essential
Programs, rendering
Millions destitute while
Pouring money into
The coffers of those
Who least need it.
A pall of austerity
Sucks the air out of
The unfortunate many,
Invigorating not the
Economy but fattening
The top percentile
Feasting on pheasant
Hunted on the estate.
