Writings

. "We all look, but it's the poet's role to help us see."

- RESILIENCY - s.. . ... "YOU DO... WHAT YOU... HAVE TO... DO NOW" . A rusty van idles amidst roadside trash, its' windshield sign whispers "Tamales For Sale". Fog-breath windows hide the faceless vendor, gringo BMWs gawk but don't stop - migrant clunkers do.   Human billboards gyrate at busy intersections, advertisements grow from clutched hands. "Two-for-one pizza, going out of business, tax refund guaranteed", dignity sold for minimum wage - there is no choice.   VA meds, soup kitchens, library warmth, survival orchestrated by others. Self-reliance totters more each day, disability checks swigged - freeway coin wages.   Comment - I admire people that endure.  Too often it's easy to judge others, not knowing their plight in life or obstacles they must overcome.  Resiliency is their virtue.

I HAUNT MYSELF   Watching Others. . . Youthful glances ignore open pages, elderly eyes read betwen the lines, rear-view thoughts haunt me. . Suffering Lingers. . . A pregnant teen chooses meth over condoms, tongue-less migrants gag on commody food, jobless silhouettes glean roadside trash, legless soldiers crawl beside rabid dogs. . Ethics Evaporate. . . Political distortion, toxic waste, toxic assets, toxic disease. Banker-brokers-builders tilt common sense. Caregivers-scholars-soldiers, compromise to justify. . Solution tactics. . . complain-vote, protest-accept, volunteer-draft, pray-deny, donate-consume. Concrete opinions- dictate, alienate, separate. . Inner voices turn the page - "so be it", "what is - - - is", "this will pass", "thou mayest". . . The world we live in is often disturbing; corruption, cruelty, greed, and deceit proliferate society.  When infected by this cultural virus, we can be overwhelmed with, cynicism, distrust, and spiritual malaise.  This poem concludes with the idea of choice.  For some, the salve and power of words helps cope with the craziness of culture.  For me, the word "Timshel" (thou mayest) is my healing ointment.