i’ve started writing
my new poems on the beach
words briefly exist
like the lives of those they speak
voiceless souls trapped in man’s games
sadness
impeachable acts…
when
i checked
on
aunt bea
to see
if she was having
any problems
she said
it seems to me
that
you’re
the one
who’s got
problems
today
so
i told
aunt bea
that
although
i knew our nation
has had
a history
of blaming
asylum seeking
or
those
just different
from
the majority
for
its
inherent problems
i still found
the current cultural melee
in the country
quite upsetting
especially
in light
of the deaths
of
innocent children
without
comforting
parental arms
aunt bea
said
when your mother
was cleaning houses
for
rich folks
she would
always get upset
if someone
would
carelessly
walk across
the floors
she has just mopped
especially
before
they dried
even
though
she knew
they would
need to be cleaned
again
next week
i guess
she felt
that
such actions
symbolized
disrespect
disrespecting
the efforts of others
to
make things
right
hmm
seems
you have inherited
your mother’s
respect
for
fairness
and
the rights
of
all
welcome to 2019…
it’s new year’s first day
29,000 children died
each minute today
will prayers be your offering
or will their blood bring action
as they pulled her child away…
holding her own hand
she looked into yesterday
and cried for today
home for the holidays…
an empty bedroom
a few scattered mementos
a frosted window
as cold as how life’s become
since a love has gone to stay
having hear of a second border child’s death…
the brown bag prophet
stood staring
at
the night sky
his breath
beneath
the
street lights
formed clouds
of
reflected doubt
for a second
he
held his breath
and
said
as he
viewed
the city’s
apartments
so many
empty prayers
offered
this night
words
said
without faith
just
an evening routine
an
offering
to the ears
of
children
or
parents
enforcing
some church mandate
or
for some
a loudly whispered
testimonial
of
their
undying belief
in
church protocol
offered
to
anyone
in earshot
said
as
convincingly
as
a two-year old’s denial
of
an act of mischief
but
the prophet
said
i
guess
it’s good
to
take out
an
insurance policy
every
now
and
then
especially when
uncertainty
rules
the heart
and
no actions
are
taken
to protect
the
innocent
divergent christmases…
presents neatly wrapped
children huddled together
fighting off their fears
wondering where their parents are
guards go home to families
