The Reckless will Reckon with the Wrecking Ball(room)

Why have elections,

if gerrymandered

sections

ensure protections 

from voting

rejections?

Abolishing everything

like demolishing

The East Wing

while insisting

upon citizens

paying,

is not really

playing well

with others.

He’s no king,

but a tyrant

who regards

our government

as his

own business,

and everyone

knows just

how that goes-

just look at his

casinos.

The East Wing’s  

now lost

and we’ll bear

the cost-

and not just

the bill

for 300 mill-

but for the 

recklessness

atop Capitol Hill.

We’re all

nervous wrecks

as he goes on

and wrecks

each aspect

of American life.

I think 

he’s having

a ball

with all

his destruction

pretending construction

of some home

improvement.

Our movement

away 

from democracy

each day

will bring

a reckoning,

I’m sure.

If not for 

him,

then for

each supporter

who 

knew better

than to gamble

with what followed

the preamble

and ambled

toward creating

the end.

But it’s not

over yet

so don’t forget

that there’s

more that we 

can all do.

You can help 

flip congress

from this

mess:

https://app.oath.vote/.

And Election Day

is not far away,

with propositions

and positions

of import.

Please support

our democracy

from the crazy

recklessness.

Happiness

and the pursuit

of justice

is not about

retribution.

Each individual

contribution

to building

a more perfect

union

may seem 

inadequate now.

But doing 

democracy 

is the way

that we

will ensure 

its longevity

and the brevity

of the recklessness.

Next Day Err

I noticed 

the reporting

was, in fact,

distorting.

Is journalism

comporting

to 

you know

who?

A day 

of demonstration

across 

the nation

in every location

with a 

fire station,

or at least

one 

not far away,

should demand

we pay

close attention.

With barely

a mention,

and an odd

contention

that participation

was in

the tens

of thousands,

not millions

as the math

bares out;

the clout

of the once

touted

journalistic

outlet

is about

to get

caught

in what 

ought

to be

simply

unthinkable.

Did pressure

mount

to distort

the count

or report

more generically?

Since when

have there been

approximately

2700 mass

demonstrations

across the nation

in a single day?

Meh?

And several 

tens of thousands

in several

cities and towns

means millions

(at least seven)

gathered

and together 

stood 

for democracy

which should

be covered

accurately

and emphatically.

It’s a serious 

story.

The NYT

and NPR

know when

numbers

are telling.

It’s smelling

fishy-

this wishy

washy

story of no

big deal.

The real

takeaway

from 

an incredibly

peaceful

and supportive

pro-democracy

day

that was,

in fact,

of history

is no mystery.

Crowd size 

matters.

And  the way

we tell it

will sell it

or not.

They may

downplay

this No Kings

day 

as a way

to keep 

the peace.

But we choose

the news

to peruse

assuming

abuse

is not

informing it.

Performing

it ,

with

a softer

version,

lacking immersion

in details,

further derails,

perhaps 

incrementally,

what is essentially

necessary

for democracy

to be

more than 

in name only.

Re: Pete

A military

career

in the rear

view,

before we 

knew 

his name,

now known

as secretary

and very

outspoken,

he faces

a daunting

situation.

And speaking

of faces,

he’s a good

looking guy,

which helps

him to buy

good will.

He also

embodies

and represents

the epitome

of that

which his 

party 

presents

(or he thinks

it should).

If only 

he could

get 

the attention

of 

the party

heads

for the next

convention.

He’s often

on Fox

and does 

TikToks,

for those 

who can’t

get enough.

Political

relevance

need not

mean eloquence;

just ask

the Secretary

of Defense

or

of War.

To compete

with Pete

is replete

with the feat

of winning

hearts and minds.

The kinds

of sound bytes

that fight

for the right 

to and for

democratic

infrastructure

is keeping

the former

mayor

secretary

very 

engaged

and prominent.

Will he 

be

dominent?

It remains

to be seen,

but to unseat

one Pete

will be a treat

for the 

other one

and confirmation

of our country’s

direction.

Wearing Fatigues

At home,

a hodgepodge, 

protected

by camouflage,

in cities

well in plain

sight.

Abroad,

there might 

be a

possibility

of peace,

finally,

initially

guarded

internationally,

with peace-keeping

forces,

which forces

the question:

why all the tension

created at home,

while seeking

peace

in the Middle

East?

Of course,

if the Nobel

were given

for being

American

as well,

well,

you can

imagine

how different

we’d be.

Exhausting

everything

is the thing

if what 

you have 

to bring

to the table

is nothing

but grievance

and grift.

The  gift

of the office

of the presidency,

aside from

White House

residency,

is precisely

the ability

to boss.

It should

be to

lead,

but this guy’s

greed

has lead him 

to merely

avoid loss.

His secret sauce

is to exhaust

or wait 

for fatigue

to set in.

He takes

the win

with considerable

spin

while tearing

down norms

with that

shit-eating

grin.

The arsonist-

fire fighter-

chaos-igniter,

waits 

for the weary

to have clearly

no energy

left.

He alone

can fix it

after

he alone 

did nix

it

or created

a problem

for a solution.

Wearing down

his enemies

is how 

he sees

success.

All that power

to make people

cower

or praise

his days

as POTUS.

He makes

everyone

tired

and mired

in dread

as he stays

ahead

of the game.

The phenomenon

intrigues us

and really

fatigues us,

which keeps 

this POTUS

doing thus.

The camouflage

wearing

is so

obvious;

he’s making

us

a jungle.

Eyes On the Prize

Well,

even if 

the Nobel’s

the sell,

let’s make

a deal

that’s finally

real.

No one denies

his eyes

on that prize

as a motivator

to broker

a peace

deal.

I feel 

potential relief

and cautious

belief

that the bad

guys

who strong

arm 

and justify

real harm

may begin

to end

this two-year

war.

The exchange

of each prisoner

for each hostage

remain

is the main-

stay of the 

first part 

of the deal.

The real

test for peace

in the mideast

will be in

the rest

of the 20-

point plan.

For each

Palestinian

and Israeli,

this war

has been

torture

for 2 years

daily,

while the

world

has watched

in horror,

appalled,

until the bad

guys called

for a peace plan.

I think 

of Ireland.

It seemed

unbelievable.

So too,

Palestine

and Israel.

It’s certainly

possible,

when the bad

guys

prioritize

peace,

with their

eyes 

on the prize.

At One

We are called

to listen;

to reflect;

to acknowledge;

to observe;

to cleanse;

to imagine;

to redirect 

our attention

away from 

the physical

world

toward intention

and action

individually,

yet 

of a community

of humanity.

Abstention

from meals

heals

nothing

unless

as we 

confess

that we have

fallen short

or missed

the mark

or ignored

the call

to help

others,

and then pivot.

We are called

to feel

the need

to heal

relationships

and come

to grips

with 

our character.

We write

the next 

chapter

of our life’s

story

when we

close

the last one.

It is not

a matter 

of plot,

but character

driven—

who will we

be

given

what we’ve

got?

We are called

forth

to repair

and dare

to share

the mercy

and blessings

we’ve 

received.

This idea

is personal

and also

universal.

We have 

an opportunity

to change course.

We’d better

do better.

And we need

to remember

that

each one

of us

is part of 

the one

that is all

of us.


(11 October, 2024)

See Sickness

I’m feeling

nausea

from

all the

cynical,

political,

vindictive,

biblical-

like

minds

who don’t

mind

falling behind

the ass.

Perhaps

the most

asinine

speech

ever 

delivered

will

be considered

an anomaly.

(I doubt it.)

Predominantly

bluster,

(it’s all

he can muster)

about nonsense

with a pretense

of muscle.

The commander

in chief

is the reprimander

in chief,

seconded

by his secretary

of war.

Settling

some score

more

than directing

or protecting

the USA,

they have

little to say

that makes 

sense 

anyway,

but they make 

sure that

they 

are heard.

The absurd

meeting

of the top

brass

all as 

a show

for the 

top ass,

would be

amusing

if it weren’t

real.

As the government

shuts down

without

negotiation,

under the guise of

healthcare

for illegal

immigration,

(which is 

the fantasy

of MAGA nation),

and a 

peace plan

in Gaza

is proposed

with occupation,

because…

what could

possibly

go wrong?

I hope

the dope

wins

the Nobel 

Peace Prize

for a surprise

success

of peace

in the Middle

East. 

But he’ll

never

be satisfied.

Not even

if Comey

were tried

and convicted.

Not even

tax breaks

for health

insurance

is assurance

now;

just watch

how

and who

the shut 

down

hurts.

He blurts

out 

without

a blink

that “blue”

cities

should be

military

training grounds.

It’s easy

to see 

why the news

makes me

queasy.

But I don’t

think I’m

the one

who is

sick.

Pain-staking

Once again,

acetaminophen

has been

poisoned.

Tylenol

has been used

safely

for decades

despite

the charades

now playing

out.

No need

to proceed

with clinical

trials

when vials

can be 

discontinued.

Meanwhile,

the recommendation

is accommodation

to discontinue

without

peer review,

other than

what appears

as peers,

not of scientists,

but of the 

resistance

to anything

conventional

or other

wise.

Decrying

the medical

establishment’s

reliance

on science

is keeping

us from

the truth.

Our youth

and infants 

are at risk.

Not from 

Tylenol,

but from all

the efforts 

to throw

the baby

out with

the bath

water.

Pregnant

women

on a strict

regimen

have taken

Tylenol

per

protocol

for decades.

When aspirin

had been

found

to have

unsound

effects

for children

and expectant

women,

science

indicated

a safer

product-

and Tylenol

was born.

The scorn

this administration

pours on

without regard

for any 

consequence

could be

seen 

as nonsense

if not for the

expense

to the most 

vulnerable.

Of all 

the concerns

and problems

to address,

creating

a headache

over Tylenol

is just 

adding to 

the enormous

mess.

The stakes

of pain

can be quite

severe.

We need

science

guidance

to which 

we adhere;

not a

conspiracy

of a deranged

Kennedy.

One and All

One 

at a time.

One day.

One hour.

One extra.

One less.

One time.

One piece.

One left.

One world.

One and all.

One

and done.

Carr Alarm

The noise

around

silencing speech

may reach

a tipping

point.

The joint

astonishment

and grief

may be

brief

as the next

one to fall

will call

our attention.

While there’s

no comparison

between the firing

of a comedian,

or two,

and the firing

of a gun,

we can’t run

from this

crisis.

Opinion

has been

the dominion

of the comedian,

even mocking

the politician.

It’s free speech

in action

and a cultural

tradition.

But the addition

of retribution

to our polity-

once

the contribution

only

of the most

violently

disturbed-

comes from

the top guy,

perpetually

perturbed.

The Federal

Communications

Commision

is now

on a mission

to stifle.

Instead of

a rifle,

or other

violence,

the way

to silence

criticisms

is to fire

the guys

whose

wittisms

are bothersome

to some;

or maybe

just

to one.

Carr’s action-

Kimmel’s subtraction-

in reaction

to the comic’s

wit,

is every bit

a lack of

grit

and merely

a fit

of alarm

of the president

who sees

speech

as harm

and uses

it

to harm others.

Is this retribution

or fear?

Who can hear

over the alarm

over the act

of commission?