sadness

by

in a gesture of appreciation…

as i left
an outdoor concert
i saw
the brown bag prophet
looking
very pensive
he
said
i was thinking
that
other nations
should
follow
israel’s lead
and
name something
after
the president
based upon
what
he’s contributed
but
do you think
there’ll be a lot of confusion
if
so many graveyards
have
the same name

 

by

no place like home…

this sad place
without relief
is home
each confinement cell
has been
carefully
designed
to imprison
dreams
we have all been
ushered here
like
repulsive rats
corralled
into
an inequity maze
from
geopolitical borders
borders near
america
australia
israel
greece
and
a host
of
other nations
each
with
its own brand
of
human humiliation
humiliation
intended
to
break the soul
into fragments
of
desperation
despicable crimes
against
those seeking freedom
policies
such as
separating families
knowing full well
family
was
why
freedom
was sought
in
the first place
how strange
that those
who
should be
most aware
refuse
to recall their own
history
stranger still
that the voice
of
hope
should be answered
with
the voice
of
death

 

by

fatal crash…

the explosion
will send shards
of
hot metal
and
warm
human flesh
in all directions
the victims
will have
no
chance
for
survival
since
the driver
has been
excessively speeding
speeding
in an armored
vehicle
plated
with
privilege
privilege
that
no one
chose
to challenge
even
those
charged
with
the responsibility
to
slow
irrationale drivers
failed
to
disrupt
the illogical course
of
a nation
letting
a driver
under the influence
of
power
to
not only
demolish
a
nation’s history
but
also
its
people

 

by

justifiable homicide…

there shall be
no
trial
no
jury
listening
to
a barrage
of
words
point
counterpoint volleys
fired
into the air
by
uniformed attorneys
whose
solemn oath
is
that
they will
represent
with
dignity 
courtesy
and
integrity
each element
of
this creed
it would seem
has been
somehow
operationally defined
but
that is
of
little concern
for
our present case
for
even though
life saving
food
and
medicine
was
intentionally
withheld
from
dying children
no charges
will
be brought
it’s just
a simple
issue
of
national security
our
political will
against
their dying children
that’s not crime
it’s
the way the game is played
a game of chicken
played
with
other people’s lives

 

by

and the throne game continues…

tonight
when you’ve finished
bathing
your child
and
tuck them
into
their warm bed
as
they cuddle
their
security
blanket
or
toy
please
add to your prayers
of
thanksgiving
a prayer
of
last rites
for
a teenage soul
the fifth child
to
be sacrificed
for
political showmanship
while
under
the care
of
border patrol
it needn’t
be a long prayer
for
it was
a short life

 

by

spotting resilience…

morning routines
briefly
suspended
fragments
of the bomb
ripped away
the thin shell
of
normalcy
around
the market stalls
crews
quickly moved
to
clear
what
hate
had left
in its wake
after
the sirens
and
screams
came
moans of grief
then
the call to prayer
with
its unified moans
of
thanks
to allah
and
throughout
it all
the fly catchers
of
baghdad
had continued
to soar
seeking
food
for
their young