insurance policy…

redeemable
at
many walmart stores
restrictions
apply
for
coverage
of
specific
sectors
of
society
veterans
of
foreign war
children
of
nonresidents
or
resident children
speaking
with
a dialect
also
wives
unaccompanied
by
dominant male stereotype 
as well as
senior citizens
whose
extended hospital stays
reduce
the profit margin
therefore
please
note
policy
may be
cancelled
by
our hired gun
doctors
and
nurses
to
increase
revenue flow
to
investors
this
in
no way
should be
interpreted
as
remediation
of
the underlying problem
nor
should it be construed as
as
an admission
of
concern
since
our policy
and
procedures
are
first and foremost
implemented
with
our
investors in mind

 

winter without end…

every year
cold winds blow
the leaves fall
ground to dust
calls for help
women stoned
children raped
old banished
every month
cold winds blow
the leaves fall
ground to dust
war ends not
profits made
the rich eat
the poor starve
every day
cold winds blow
the leaves fall
ground to dust
calls to prayer
righteous war
soldiers die
children die
each minute
cold winds blow
the leaves fall
ground to dust

international women’s day…

"The Child Shall Be First" - a mural by Peppino Mangravite (fragment)

the day
of recognition
is over
so it’s back
to abuse
as usual
today
a woman
from kosovo
will be kidnapped
from the street
to become
the bride
of a man
she barely knows
you needn’t worry though
it’s the way
things have
always
been
a daughter
will have acid
thrown in her face
by a rejected
iranian suitor
just another
local custom
you needn’t worry
women
will be vilified
for daring
to propose
that their bodies
are theirs
and not
the property
of
the state
you needn’t worry though
it’s the way
things have
always
been
oh
the list
could go on
but i
only
have
today

border crossing….

the heel
of his boot
push hard
against her consciousness
his words
struck her ears
with the same
sharp edge
understandable
but
with an accent
unfamiliar
to her
but
his uniform
was like
all uniforms
designed
to hide
reality
but
her fear
was pure
unlike her
by
day’s
end

a merrier christmas…

there was no need
to study the life line
coursing down the palm
of her hand
to know
of her past
one need only
to count the scars
on her face
stitches added
over the years
but this christmas
was different
she was alone
in the house her father built
atop a mountain
miles from the city
she thought she loved
in a one room cabin
with a small tree
adorned with left over
ornaments
but each one
was placed with love
upon those branches
and she
finally
felt loved
not by a man
but by
a simple
birth