Monday, March 29, 2010

Hoodwinked

The American Dream slipped right through calloused hands and plummeted out of sight. Industries caved in and banks shut their doors, barring people from their small fortunes. 401Ks and stock portfolios dwindled to near extinction as a handful of savvy investors flashed toothy grins into cameras promising to fix it all. Large chunks of the economy shifted back and forth as mediators pondered who should take the lead. Like a game of hot potato it bounced around giving way to impressive charts that pointed to impending doom. Giggling like small children, grinning from ear to ear, placating the majority with false hopes, men in suits appeared on the horizon. Our messiahs came with fistfuls of cash and lengthy contracts with entire sections blacked out to prevent mass hysteria. The dust is slowly settling and on the surface things look almost serene, but entire operations have just disappeared overnight and the only thing in workers' pockets seem to be wads of lint.

Reciprocative Exegeses

In a land of law and bureaucracy loopholes are a way of life. For those that can speak Legalese, everything is simply a shade of grey. Terms like pre-existing conditions and federal mandates are not set in stone. Universal coverage is not a right, it is a rite of passage. A new generation raised through social experimentation did not turn out quite like expected. Words like entitlement are thrown around like darts. Dehumanization and personhood now mean the same thing. Vilifying the realities of people's situations has become the norm and everyone bought in. Hook, line, and sinker the process is almost complete. Dystopian novels become blueprints instead of warnings. So, pack the necessities in a tiny knapsack and hit the streets before someone else lays claim to that spot under the bridge.

Focus!

Jihad, Taliban, Al-Qaeda, Muslim
Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan
These words are interchangeable
Use them at your own discretion
Concentrate at pay close attention
We are at war with Eastasia!
Education is overrated
Made obvious from
The degradation of the system
Piles of rubble
Lie smoking in the wake
Of the governments plan
To humiliate
Brown people everywhere
Should hide out in caves
To escape
What has become
Our answer to petty threats
Concentrate and pay close attention
We are at war with Eurasia!
Turbans become a sign
Of imminent danger
And bomb toting peoples
Ostrich like reactions
Leave us in the dark
And clog our ears with sand
Apocalyptic memos
Remind us to take a stand
In case anyone has forgotten
Concentrate and pay close attention
We are at war with Eastasia!

Schismatic Palisades

Thick blankets unroll themselves every night and envelop all near the screen. Our three minutes of hate has stretched itself into a decade. Justified anger is promoted through propaganda people will deny exists. men in black uniforms silently creep at night and drag citizens into the shadows. In a world as unruly as ours it all makes sense. This beacon on the hill will continue to fight for the freedoms and liberties enjoyed up top. For the rest of us, new mandates are put into place, allowing for assassinations instead of due process. Political dissention has become a crime and no one seems to notice.

Nefariousness

Natural instinct dictates
Reacting to the sound
From the mouths of babes
The truth shall unfold
Depleted uranium deposits
Left them crippled and maimed
Who speaks for those
Who no longer have a voice
Fathers are taken out
With the push of a button
From miles away
Mothers are removed
From natural processes
And take on new roles
Disturbing the fragile system
Civilian casualties
Makes it sound okay
But it is nothing more
Than utterly inhumane
Raise your voice to the sky
And pray to whomever
You feel is allowing this lie
Don't plead, demand
And end to atrocities
That plague barren lands
Smoldering from the most recent
Rape of cultural norms
Speak for those
With no voice
Because it was
The lack of involvement
That allowed for this
To transpire in the first place

Contradistinction

Attention: Remember, you are not like your neighbor. Sure, we cannot find any real evidence, genetically speaking, to back up these claims, but that is not what's important, trust us. The difference in melanin levels is not just about appearances. Fundamentally, we are opposites. Genocidal maniacs are all a little tinted, do not forget it. What Holocaust? If I remember correctly, and I know I do, things did not happen the way you think. Don't believe me, go read a book. No, not that one, here is a new version. How dare you call me a liar; to the victor goes the spoils so I will write what I want.

Cultural Preservation

Under the guise of security
Safety is no longer a goal
It is a way of life
Even if that means
Less liberty for the common man
Habeas corpus and posse comitatus
Are just words
We no longer feel
Are necessary to define
Freedom of movement
Is slipping away
The tide violently recedes
Muddy banks left in the wake
Don't step too close though
We'll shoot you down
Unmanned aerials
Silently hover overhead
Inconspicuous enough
As no one pays attention to the sky
Jet streams linger
And metals fall from the heavens
A smoke screen
To protect from cosmic radiation
Political apathy is encouraged
Give yourself to someone else
It's easier that way
Forget what you know
Or what you think you do
Since it is all useless information anyway

Monday, March 22, 2010

Ill-fated Delineation

The bottom of the pot blackened
With the unfortunate sense of homogeneity
Old mottos were dusted off
And put back into action
New analogies make promises
Of increased cultural identity
Less Americanization
It's easier to pick out the pieces
And separate individuals
From their counterparts
From soup to salad
Our portions are smaller
And missing key ingredients
The taste is unnatural
So we drown it in oil and vinegar
And cram it down our throats

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Conurbation Asphyxiation

Leaders on vacation gave little thought to the fact that Mother Nature swelled up, out of the ocean and slammed into recently fractured structures supposed to protect from such monstrosities. While one group cowered in fault ridden domes, others climbed to the apex of what once represented livelihood. Uniforms descended amongst the people and set to hunting like something out of The Most Dangerous Game. Taking them out like safari animals, little thought was given to the consequences of such actions. Tiny white light bulbs lit up overhead and ham sandwiches shaped ominously like modern silver blades, exploding at just the right moment debilitating those already handicapped and starving. Out of towners left soon after arriving because of the stench of racism and left bigots with handguns free to roam the city. No one questions the morality of the situation, instead pointing to the importance of a safe, secure, controllable public. As shepherds of the masses, slaughter is allowed to take place. Wading through rivers, holding bread over your head to both save it from the death ridden murky waters and to provide an umbrella from the blazing sun. The stench of death slowly creeps down alleys as bodies pile up, shoved against one another, held in place by submerged Chevrolet's, stacked up like firewood, breeding disease and depression while men in masks bang down doors, shoving barrels in faces, yelling out orders and pushing you into the street where you see your brother floating downstream with a bullet hole in his back. The government failed us, not for the first time. Men with guns came down and showed our true colors, fight back and die. Or don't fight back and they'll shoot you in the head. Either way here's the deal: they are in charge and you are dispensable. Remember it always. And now years later, where are we? Have we gone anywhere at all? Nothing has changed, we send out experimental military weapons to quell dissenters and break up protests. The constitution is just a piece of paper, remember? Of course most don't. We watch American Idol with religious fervor, but forget the names of past winners before the start of the next season. Short sighted fools with no interest in putting up a fight. We allow for the murder of innocent civilians on a daily basis, but blow it off because they are foreigners. But New Orleans isn't some other country. We let them kill our own brothers and sisters and decide to do nothing about it. Police officers make plea bargains to opt out of the spectacle of a trial. Behind closed doors plans are fixed and declared too important to disseminate the information obtained.

Enthusiastic Disengagement

Soft hands reach up and a white nightgown drapes like the wings of a cherub. From above the look is much different as thoughts of drop kicking baby are seriously debated. Normalcy dictates there's not much to do, simply ride out the storm and see what happens. Then five young children are drowned in a bathtub.

Ignoring an infant is to emotional attachment what gas shortages are to a road trip, no one will be getting anywhere. Recognitions of these realities lead us to conclusions that just don't line up with current thought processes so everything is conveniently swept under the rug.

Our interactions with whiny brats who just won't sit still will continue unabated, only the next time we won't hand out Ritalin, we'll just throw them behind steel barriers and mock their choices as if they ever had one. The reasons are apparent yet we simply act as if nothing is wrong.

As long as privatization continues, and men grow wealthier on the backs of mistreated individuals there will be no strong push to actually fix our societal problems. There push must come from within. Take a real look at your neighbor and you'll see exactly what I mean.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Rapturous Sciolism

Tears of joy flowed freely into the streets as historical wrongs were righted with the quick push of a button that may or may not have recorded your actual intentions. As we praise our new silver tongued demagogue we forget about past incursions and stroll merrily down the street passing more degenerates daily. Eerily Orwellian posters plaster the sides of buildings giving way to more scapegoating of innocent bystanders who are completely unaware of the true value of their lives, broken down into percentages and rounded off to neat decimal points, as the fruits of the labors are conspicuously stolen from right underneath us and shipped across the sea. We sit on the sidelines as we watch opportunities go by, spiraling down the drain and do nothing more than sigh. Bullies are there for the same reasons as their victims. Heavy burdens are heavier if you don't exercise your right to lighten the load and promote fairness on the playground. We're all just in awe of people that were supposedly picked from among us and astoundingly use us all for collateral. Ignorance is bliss, until that pink slip shows up on your gleaming white desk.

False Paradigms

Everyone's got it all figured out
Conservative or liberal
There is no other
Taking the middle path
Is just the coward's way out
Mirrors on either side of the room
Like Mormon temple ceremonies
Offer the visage
Of never ending agreements
That shall bind us from now
Until forever
But even Catholics
Can get a divorce
So who says anything
Can possibly be immortal
Or is it this mortal foray
That sets our perceptions
At odds with one another
Ensuring the continuation
Of discriminating coteries
It will persevere unabated
For as long as we will stand for it
So sit, embrace nothing
And just be already

Fraternal Obligations

Speeding along, I'll be lifted up by the black asphalt tearing from the earth, propelling unnaturally toward heaven. The usual suspects no longer abound as we are all deemed to be of an independent variety. Further along, I'll run into my background and awkwardly shuffle two hand-me-down boots and stare at change on the pavement. Abe'll mock me, refusing good luck, as concerned souls give sideways glances attempting to decipher the bizarre anomaly. All together then we'll sit patiently through the entire process relying on our perceived notions of etiquette, calmly applauding at the end of the service and ride out in separate directions with little more than a nod from either party.

Presbyopia

Hacking our way through the forests like some great conquistador we stumble upon instruction manuals left by those we have long since decided are of no real importance. In our understandings of momentum, things can only speed up, things never just go away. As if ne'er was there a problem with electrical impulses and the loss of information. Trapped in an old home with familiar walls, a kindred spirit has lost her dishes, all over again. Flat, lumpy planes and ever expanding spheres cloud our judgment as we try to observe through mathematical equation what is perfectly visible with the naked eye.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Ludicrous Circumscriptions

Instead of learning from mistakes
It seems we are forever doomed to repeat them
Our version of Roman aqueducts
Crumble beneath our feet
And red and white styrofoam cups
Taunting Pepsi lovers everywhere
Lie strewn on roadsides
To serve as a constant reminder
Of the realities of our lives
Towns change their names
Pleading for corporate giants
To just take notice
And offer even faster connections
To speed up the dehumanization process
As we blow the lid off Pandora's box
As we struggle to stay afloat
Ensuring our fast approaching end of days
At least in the sense
That we're now almost completely slaves
A global financial meltdown
Won't even slow us down
We'll pray to Mr. Buffett
Because theists are hypocrites
And money's what really makes the world go round
The solutions are simple, albeit expensive
So we'll offer our indentured servitude
Since the tightening of our shackles
Has already left us completely numb inside

Ecunemical Excursion

A trip around the world
Via international cuisine
Led to interesting results
Uygur Polo and Sweet Pea Soup
Raisins over rice
Yogurt spead on Pide bread
Fried mashed potatoes and Picadillo
And roasted bell pepper
Red and sizzling, slightly blackened
Cajun style
Risotto and breadsticks with Manicotti
Bright reds and greens
All covered in cheese
Followed by He Jia Tuan Yuan
Or Masoor Dal and Naan
Chile Relleno and Avacado salsa
The kitchen smells like restaurants
From all over the world
The counters are covered in flour
And bits of leafy vegetables
While some of it was delicious
I'm beginning to think
Perhaps I'm just not that worldly of a guy

Cultural Ambiguity

Tamales for Christmas Eve
Sauce picante for Santa day
And hamburgers for the new year
A sea of brown faces
Clothed in bright yellows and greens
A bright peacock
Rests on walita's shoulder
As she warms the comal
Around the corner, pale faces
With newly permed hair
Blowing softly in the breeze
Dilly-doopers in hand
Half breeds abound
In modern day relationships
Eh, c'est la vie
Soy un American Mexican French Indian
And such is my life

Aspasia's Alliteration

Argonautic ventures toward apocryphal ambitions will lead us straight to Avernus. As we cross the Aegean Sea toward the ultimate abomination of desolation that shall prove to be our Achilles' heel, we'll discover our search for ego will end at the Greek calends, or perhaps at the eleventh hour we'll find our Arcadian society without embracing the spirit of Ares. Instead of turning to anthrophagi we'll feast on ambrosia as we discover the truth behind our modern day Atlanta's race and embrace those wandering adullamites and become as rich as Croesus. The apple of discord is simply an illusion kept alive by modern day Amydaens with no interest in staving off Armageddon. the conclusion must be reached that as a tree falls, so shall it lie; ego's not just absent from the arena, it exists solely as an apparition of the allusion of self.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Four Seasons

Autumn
Cooler air brings
A myriad of colors
To the mountain side

Winter
Bitterly cold wind
Slashing violently, striking
Like whips on your face

Spring
Small purple flowers
Spread across yellowed pastures
Announcing new life

Summer
Alabama heat
Heavy with humidity
Soaks backs with warm sweat

Portending Calamity

Five minutes to midnight
One second from destruction
Digital clocks attempt
To keep it all under wraps
Straight lines in red
That offer some semblance of sanity
Everything turns to black and white
As if anything is really that simple
A stick in the ground
Offers more accurate readings
As the sun disappears
Behind artificial storm clouds
Bright lights blaze across the sky
And Gaia rumbles and groans
As She inches ever closer
To fixing the problem Herself
Even if set off by the introduction
Of too much energy into the ionosphere
Silent killers that infiltrate the mind
Providing docile sheep
That ignore the actualities
Of their so called reality

Federation of Trepidation

Y2K triggered anomalies in human faculties that just never went away. A state of panic ensued, encouraged at every turn. Then the world took notice as buildings crumbled, billowing into the air and covering cement hallways, forever stained with blood and ash, to serve as a constant reminder of how incapable we are of handling ourselves. Leaders unite to bring an end to such tragedies and encouraged those able to provide the tools needed for the job. It only costs your freedom. It's such a small price to pay to continue living just the same, sans the humanity or moral nature of society. Anarchy is wrong, surrender to another. You are evil. You are immoral. And you are screwed if you buy a damn word of it.

Coital Diversion

Inconspicuous eyes in computer screens
That offer glimpses into the room
Are like glory holes for Uncle Sam to stick his cock through
Fucking you up the ass, with no lube
Some notice something sketchy and apply the fix all, duct tape
As if it's going to stop people from peeking
Others have been abused for so long that they no longer feel it
A light whoosh as a flatulent that never really began or ended
Simply slips out without notice
For some it still hurts, but for how long
Eventually it all just feels the same
Get off your hands and knees
Bite down on that hand that feeds
And yank with all your might
Rip it from its source and bury it out back
Sure, someone else will just come along
And attempt to get their rocks off
But you've already enjoyed that first taste of blood

The Serpent

Serpent, serpent, of the night
With eyes that burn so bright
From whence did you appear?
How on Earth did you get here?

Whose hands gave birth to thee
Was it a He or was it a She?
Did celestial bodies craft your body,
Or did idle hands offer camaraderie?

And whose works or mold,
Once announced, "Behold!"
And breathed life into your being
Only to send you fleeing?

What tools of the trade
Sent you on your crusade?
Were hammers used,
Or was knife work abused?

When planted in the garden,
Were you offered a pardon?
Were you immediately accepted,
Or hereupon rejected?

Serpent, serpent, of the night
With eyes that burn so bright,
From whence did you appear?
How on Earth did you get here?

*Again, trying something new. Original poem from Blake: http://www.daypoems.net/poems/441.html

Bassinet Symphony

REST, rest, blossoming one
Close you eyes, and dream young son
The moonlight brightens you face
And traces without disgrace

Innocence and beauty abound
On a chubby face, o so round
Soft cheeks, angelic grace
You drift off to an imaginary place

Of what do you dream
Silently cooing, sinlessness supreme
With tiny hands that rest on cheek
Rosy red and o so meek

Smiles will creep
Even in your sleep
O beautiful child when thee wake
I will be here, make no mistake

*Just playing with new styles here and yes, I "copied" Blake. The original poem is here:
http://www.daypoems.net/poems/442.html