Sew What?

I think these times

are tailor-made

for the aptly named

one

who trumps up

plots

and  projections

compulsively;

skirting

accountability

while

harnessing

power 

and money—

so much

money—

to pay 

his legal bills

or not.

Lying about

sexual assault,

his taxes,

his wealth,

size/amounts

of anything

and everything,

COVID 19,

election loss,

dead voters,

machines,

insurrection,

electors,

endless 

nonsense

without

hemming

and hawing,

constantly 

reinforced

by 

the worst.

Now becoming

hemmed in

by 4 indictments

on numerous

counts,

he pretends

to be

the victim

of a conspiracy

of the deep

state,

whatever

that 

is.

The fringe

seems

fringier

but 

not

frayed;

poised

to enter

the fray

when

summoned.

But fewer

magas

have shown

up

since

justice

started

reigning

down on

the criminal

ones.

Meanwhile,

he has

all but

sewn up

the party’s

nomination

to be 

safeguarded

from prison,

except….

GEORGIA,

as he might

type.

So what

happens as

this  unfolds?

Will he

come apart

at the seams?

Will the fabric

of our 

democracy

be altered

to better fit

an altered

culture

and politics

that seemed

unthinkable,

but has been

unraveling

for decades?

Say Cheese

New revelations

of an old 

memo

explaining fake

electors

as a tactic

to delay

and confuse

and 

I’m not really

sure

what else

because its author,

the other Ken bro,

Chesebro,

admits

the legality

is dubious,

at best.

He acknowledges

it is

unlikely

to persuade

the Supreme

Court

to overturn

the (2020)

election,

but…

whatever….

let’s try it!

The thickening

plot,

for a time 

thinly veiled,

is visible

(and audible)

and reeks

of criminality

and conspiracy.

Meanwhile,

The Sacrificial

Ham

figured out 

his campaign

theme:

“I’m being indicted

for you.”

It’s the stuff

of TV

that you can’t

unsee,

and he

will surely

up the ante.

The anti-tv

folks suggest,

that televising

the trial(s)

will endanger

those 

in the courtroom:

witnesses,

jurors,

lawyers and judge(s).

But so many

people want

to see 

transparency.

I thought I wanted

the trial

broadcast,

because I thought

it would 

show

truth,

like January

6th,

and the congressional

hearings.

Ha!

Will justice

be served

when they 

say

cheese

for the cameras?

The Bald Eagle

The Bald Eagle,

that bird

of prey,

is an opportunistic

feeder

swooping down

and snatching

its next

meal.

It builds

the largest

nest

of ANY

ever recorded.

Sexual maturity

is attained

at the age

of 4-5 years.

The Bald Eagle

is not really 

bald,

but actually

“white headed”.

hmmmm…..

So this Big Bird

who disguises

his baldness

with an orangey-

blonde

combover,

has an abundant

food supply

and old growth

trees 

for nesting.

He repeats 

bald-faced 

lies

feigning victimhood

while no

competitors

within his ranks

really

challenge him.

The Eagle has landed

3 indictments

thus far,

while Georgia’s

on my mind.

I’ve never understood

why a predator

would be

revered

as a national 

symbol.

The Bald Eagle

was threatened

with extinction,

but saved 

from it.

Broad wings,

keen sight,

and powerful,

soaring flight,

The Bald Eagle

has been

appropriated

in human 

form

as the predator

that he is:

Not majestic,

but gaudy,

white headed,

building nests 

in the tallest

trees

scraping the sky.

The eagle,

like the lion,

has long 

symbolized

authority

and strength,

much like a king.

Sure,

birdies

and eagles,

just under par,

denote skill.

But the skill

of this

Bald Eagle

who threatens

American Democracy

and feigns

representing it,

is his predatory

nature. 

This Bald Eagle

belongs

in captivity.

Out of the Box

Out of the box,

Barbie lives

As Barbie does

Being

Barbie;

Just Barbie.

The thinking

About  Her

Evokes

New ideas

About old

Notions

OF Femininity.

But she’s still

Just Barbie

Until 

Out of the box

Thinking

About  Her

As a reflection

Of All Hers

And His

Concepts

Of Us. 

Out of the box

Thinking

Created

This new conversation

And embrace

Of Barbie

As a movie

of Us

and  them

and merch.

Is if for fun?

Is it for profit?

is it an example?

All  of the above

Can be true

When Barbie

Is brought

Out of the box.

Meanwhile,

Next door,

Oppie,

Poor guy,

Who relished

Out of the box

Thinking,

Envisioning

An end to war

Itself,

With a profound

Passion for

Theoretical  Physics

And Humanity,

His Genius

and  Out of the Box

Thinking

Was not enough.

Stripped of his security

Clearance

Despite  beating

The existential

Threats to Democracy 

Around the world,

Oppie was cast

As a Commie—

A faux greater threat

That was really

Conjured

For political 

Gain  

By the cynical

And vindictive

Opposition

To Oppie

In the Government

He gave 

His life

To defend.

And we live

With that weapon

Of mass destruction—

That violent

Energy

Released upon

The innocent;

The threat of abuse

And obliteration

Remains

Constant

As the political

Abuse continues

And mounts.

The box 

In which

We think

Is opening 

For Artificial

Intelligence—

A real

Scary

Thought

That may not 

Transform without

Destroying

Us.

The Bombshell

And The Bomb

Have provided

Security

And threats

For generations

Once out of the Box.

The Jaws of AI

Doo-doot

doo-doot

doo-doot

doo-doot….

the two note

tune

of impending

doom…

a beast

beneath,

hungry

to devour

maybe 

us.

The music

cues 

the menacing

danger

awaiting,

alerting us

to change

course. 

We fear

an attack

and fear

we may 

be helpless.

Artificial Intelligence

is everywhere

invisible

and manifest.

Now everyone

is chatting

with 

and about

ChatGPT,

or at least 

hears

the doo-doot

doo-doot

doo-doot

theme

with each

article,

post,

and soundbite.

Meanwhile

the new

Know Nothings

turn it up

to 11

knowing

that the more

the lies

are said,

the more difficult

it gets

to put them

to bed. 

Insisting on 

nonsense

makes sense

when people

abide

and vote.

The real

intelligence

is in exploiting

the fact

of people

needing

to feel

right

more 

than anything

else. 

People 

will do 

anything

to relieve

anxiety.

Fear of prison?

Run for POTUS.

Craving more

power?

Consolidate

support.

Tell them

what 

they want

to hear.

Drill

Baby

Drill.

As 

a matter

of fact,

facts don’t

matter.

(Except that they do.)

Artificial

Intelligence

may amass

information,

but still

we need

the truth.

Bobby Jr

may be 

ill.

I don’t know.

Like Ye,

he has aligned

himself

with fear,

hate,

myth,

and danger,

pretending

to have

“researched”.

Once regarded

as gifted

and brilliant,

now elevating

the worst

of human

thinking,

while

the Very

Stable

Genius

is consolidating

the power

of the

POTUS

to stay

free and rich.

It’s really

simple—

and maybe 

smart,

but it’s

going 

to bite

us 

and 

we will

bleed. 

Choice Cuts

Fear always

feels 

like avoiding 

suffering.

Putting up 

a wall

shutting out 

that visitor

who stays 

too long.

Maybe suffering

is a ghost;

a memory

that haunts

with threats

of incapacitating

or decapitating

abilities.

Suffering

is the evil

twin

of resilience.

Sapping

strength,

balance,

and agility,

suffering

conquers

us 

and 

is

an identity

thief.

It’s got

our 

number:

Persistently 

calling

us

to answer

their scam,

distracting 

us

incessantly 

from 

the rest

of life.

Resilience 

acknowledges

pain

and 

has space

for choice.

Suffering

devours

choice 

and 

hope,

limiting

possibility

to be

otherwise.

Resilience

remembers

accomplishment

with pain

and the possibility

of overcoming

overwhelming

experiences.

Suffering  is

a condition.

Pain is

an experience,

perhaps prolonged,

and even

from

a condition,

that is a part

of life—

not the experience

of life

itself. 

Pain 

is

a fact.

Suffering 

is 

a choice.

White is the New Black

Affirming 

colorblindness

ignores reality 

and history 

that has shaped

today.

Performing

diversity

with factual

mystery 

has draped

the way

institutions

accept,

nurture,

and promote

opportunities.

Identifying race

no longer 

in place

affirms 

what does not

exist

under

or beyond

the law:

Equal opportunity.

Equal justice.

Well integrated communities.

Post 

or Anti

Racism.

Now 

6 justices

feign justice

affirming actions

confirming factions

historical,

structural,

largely intractable,

without rules

guiding

the game.

All lives

matter?

The content

of one’s

character

is the cream

that will

rise 

to the top.

Ha!

The top

has a legacy

of skin 

in the game—

I mean

the actual

color 

of their skin

in the game,

which was

built in

to the game,

now overturned.

Whiteness

is somehow

eliteness

and politeness,

and also

aggrievedness,

seeking

legitimacy

in the ranks

of the oppressed,

that has historically

been structurally

suppressed 

based upon 

non-whiteness.

Culture

and color

have grown up

together,

becoming entangled

despite

newfangled

efforts to claim

the old game

is no longer

played.

Future History

The history

of the future

was always

fantastical.

We’re

looking forward

to future

history

imagined 

like a fable,

when the able

are included

and each human’s

ability

is a form of mobility

with support

as we comport

ourselves

with decency.

Well,

that’s one 

version,

or perversion,

depending on

how you read

or don’t.

Future history

lacks mystery.

It is created

now and then

interpreted

or forgotten.

or disregarded,

or banned—

experience 

be damned!

Learning 

is a spiral.

So is progress,

and I confess

that I had 

no idea

we were so

susceptible

to what seems

incredible

and not

credible–

now

an unimaginable

future history.

The lessons

of stories

from the bible

and myths

of the ancients

and Shakespeare

and Aesop

and all cultures

everywhere

forever,

warn of evil

forces

embodied,

calling up

the hero’s

journey

that Joseph Campbell

taught 

is universal

always.

Supernatural

Beings

are part of

the story of

human history

as Superpower

thinking

includes playing 

God, 

while Superhero

fantasies

consume

the stories 

we tell

and sell

across 

the globe.

Meanwhile

we are dying

of consumption.

So is Earth.

And we learn

history

happened

without us. 

It’s not our fault.

We want more.

We want better.

But we know

better.

Future history

is this. 

And us.

Part Time

This is the part

when the deep

state of things

associated

with disruption,

corruption,

and threats 

of violence,

lies 

at the heart

of the party

gunning

for power 

at any cost.

Lies 

are spun 

with projecting

behaviors

and controls

on the other.

This time

feels scarier.

We always 

think that.

If the 20th

Century

was 

The American

Century,

punctuated

by wars

each decade,

the 21st 

Century

is the 

Anti-American

Century

punctuated 

by terrorism

and self

destruction

between 

global

crises

shutting us

down

each decade

until we

shudder

constantly.

The trauma

is here

at home

this time.

We watched

the parting

of the sees-

those who see

Anti-Dems

as the prize

and those

who see

Democracy–

once prized–

at stake.

Seeking 

to reawaken

through

Anti-Woke

speech,

the put-to bed

theories 

of Nazis,

Fascists,

“States Rights”,

and women’s health

no longer 

their’s,

are imposed

among numerous

other outrageous

bans and acts .

We thought

time

had played

its part

revealing

a singular

direction

toward

freedom

with liberty

and justice

for all.

But this part

of our story 

is new.

This time,

a POTUS

could be

convicted

and elected.

He would not

be able

to vote

while serving

time

imprisoned.

And then 

there’s

the part

about 

a pardon.

Time

to do

your part!

Whine and Cheese

We have come to expect

Elections 

As traditions

Despite each one

More existentially

Significant

Than ever.

We know 

The show

Must go

On

And on and on

So money

Can roll

The dicey

Game of politics

That is performance

Without art.

It’s a total 

Drag,

(And that’s

Not allowed

Anymore

In some places),

Watching candidates

Dress up 

And exaggerate,

Mugging

For cameras

At cheesy events,

Whining about

Who’s

Destroying us

And how

The stakes

Have never

Been higher.

Do voters want

The Cheese Wiz?

Not just the ersatz 

Savory goo topping,

But a master of faux

Sentiment?

Or the whining

About witch hunts

And hoaxes?

The Deep State

Pedophiles

And Alien

Invaders

Across 

The boarder?

As candidacies

Launched,

Horrible Haze

Enveloped

Much of the 

Country.

Toxic air

Emanated from

Canadian fires,

A result of dry 

Earth, 

A result of

Climate Change. 

Our political

Climate has

Changed 

Profoundly

While the same

Whine and Cheese

Is served

As though

They will persuade

Or reassure

Donors 

If not

Voters

That politics

Ages well

Like

Whine

And cheese.