that many minorities of color and creed
Have suffered greatly to their ruin.
Parity, respect—
Are these values so remote?
Can differences be overcome,
With no one stranded or left afloat?
It’s true that no two share
The same mind, the same face,
Yet to always remember this truth…
We’re all residents of the human race.
The Law
The rule of law,
It is often said,
Is the backbone of our system,
Universal to all, our leaders and the led.
However, one symbol shows both
Its strength and its needs.
The lady, a statue and blindfolded,
Perhaps not seeing all deeds.
This blindness,
Manifested through money and power,
Has shown to many, great injustice,
Certainly not our finest hour.
As one hopes to see change
Through the ridicule and derision,
Maybe only then can this system
Restore some lost vision.
Word
The spoken word has immense power
As it conveys.
Its message may be infinitely broad,
Though often, it changes ways.
With its inherent freedoms,
There is also a great cost,
Since some will find direction,
Others will be lost.
Here it seems especially important
That one possesses a discerning ear,
Since some talk…
Not always thoughtful or measured—
Approaches with some fear.
Times like this, when one ignores,
Those words’ power lose their weight.
Now empty and without inertia,
Deaf ears victorious, without the hate.
The Panhandler
I see the older man weekly,
As he hustles and scrounges
For some coin.
He solicits in a kind and humble way,
Avoiding all desire to purloin.
Most that pass by him realize
His life is lived simply,
Hand to mouth!
While any likely future opportunities
Have evaded and gone south.
Maybe the next time you walk by,
Try to think of him beyond the image
Of a downtrodden bum.
While he mooches a bit,
Sponges for more…
Forging his survival, through
Various landscapes or slum.
CHAPTER 2
“My political voice began to jump, with so much material, I wrote of Trump.”
Politics
As two or more groups get together,
And try to influence one another,
Complications seem to mount, agreements
Become elusive, even among brothers.
These people of power and voice
Often forget their priorities,
Looking more like novice frat boys and
Sisters of sororities.
Only through flexibility and clarity
Can a compromise emerge and prevail.
As minds come together and
Conflicts erode, common goals will not derail.
Most important of all, they must be
Involved and not blind
To the issues that surround, no matter
How difficult one might find.
Legislat—Or?
There was a time, long ago,
Where those chosen to lead us
Were respected, admired, and revered.
Nowadays, this trend seems to have shifted…
Those politically powerful
Are often hated or feared.
This change in perception manifest slowly.
It didn’t just happen overnight.
Many years were needed here as this
Brew fermented, with a vintage clearly in sight.
What’s been seen over the years are statesmen
Who’ve acquired amnesia toward those they work for,
Becoming allied to varied special interests,
As if those groups are impossible to ignore.
As a nation already having great diversity,
It would seem unnecessary,
To add fuel to the fire and divide.
Many are expecting more from their elected,
The need for integrity through the rough,
Political waters, while navigating
To the unified.
The Trump Card
This event evolved to a unique spectacle,
With history’s promise to record
The brazen newcomer, and a former first lady,
Verbally sparring to be the new lord.
This political process can become ugly,
Causing many to turn away.
Yet the effect cannot be ignored,
As people’s votes seem to sway.
So how was it possible, this victory made,
Through all the division and the hate?
Seems that focusing on certain fears and prior glories…
It becoming our current fate.
Bipartisan Memo to Potus
Date: June 2017
To: President Trump, aka The Donald
Decisions made recently have been divisive,
And quite frankly, more difficult to support.
All the while, many heads have been left scratching,
Wondering