For a moment,
the upcoming
eclipse
got eclipsed
by a
northeast
quake
which eclipsed
mideast
bombing
which eclipsed
the war
in Ukraine
which was trumped
a while ago
by Trump
eclipsing himself
with more
crazy
each day.
This Spring
has been
anything
but silent.
This season
of birth
and renewal
has been
cruel
to humanity
and democracy.
Meanwhile,
people
are freaking
out
about
nature.
Oops.
Sorry.
My bad.
Mea culpa.
Shit happens.
Collateral damage.
War is hell.
Casualties
of war.
Fog
of war.
Misidentified
target.
A grave mistake.
A very complex
condition.
It shouldn’t
have happened.
Starving
for power.
Starving
for peace.
Starving
for supper.
Starving
to death
without
aid.
First,
protect
the starving
victims
and the ones
who feed
them.
Now the world
is starving
for peace
and freedom.
And the
basics.
For some
reason,
it’s too
difficult
to see
clearly
marked
vehicles.
Get your steaks,
ties,
water,
vodka,
bogus degree
from T
University,
NFTs,
mug shot
mugs,
golden sneakers,
cologne,
bible,
and more!
all for the low
low low
price…..
Wait!!!
The price
is much
much much
too high.
He really
puts the mess
in messiah
complex.
Or just the
reflex
to deflect
to protect
his project
which he
projects
on others.
How is it
all
possible
at all?
(audible
sigh).
He’s making
America
pray again!
For Chrissakes,
it’s Easter!
And his “favorite
book”,
said the crook
(who displayed
it upside
down
alongside
the military
blocking
lawful
protestors),
has always
been his
political
bible.
He loves
his sheep
and the silence
of the lambs
as he fancies
himself
the shepherd
and lion,
some bizarre
minotaur
defying natural
or any
laws.
He loves
to pedal
the idea
of his crucifixion
with each
fiction
he spews.
As we know,
thoughts
and prayers
live in heads
and hearts.
But insurrection
and presidential
resurrection
are results
of human
actions;
accumulations
before
elections.
Democracy,
as we see,
in this era
of crazy,
is more
than voting.
Activate
and advocate!
Thoughts
and prayers
never stop
the shooters.
The bridge
collapsed
right after
we left:
The bridge
that was
called
The Key.
The video
that captured
the rupture
of the structure
that gave way
the way
dominoes
fall
in succession
reminded me
of the twin
towers
collapsing—
each floor
on top
of itself
until
mere dust.
How quickly
collapse
occurs
once
what was
painstakingly
built
becomes broken.
Lives lost.
And lost
connection.
The Key Bridge
may be
an exception,
except
it seems
like an
expression
or projection—
a metaphor
for
our political
situation.
An enormous
vessel,
out of control.
broke
the bridge
that was key.
MAGA
became
a party
to insanity
with no
real
vision,
just
division.
The sense
of impending
ending
of what
we treasure
is the measure
by which
we react.
Humanity’s
mortality
(and certainly
Democracy’s)
is what we
tend
to see.
At least
let’s not
go further
but add
some fervor
to be the
preserver
of this
life
now.
The party’s
over
so let’s
stand
our ground
into the ground
this time
around.
Screw
decorum—
a forum
for repression.
Bring
obsession
and regression
to the fore
and the floor
of our House.
Hats off
to 46,
who wants
to fix
so much
that is broken.
The Center
of Gravity
has normalized
depravity,
self serving
and unnerving.
Calling themselves
Conservative
is interpretive
at best.
Suggesting
Great
while exhibiting
hate
is actually
reflecting
our past.
We’re better
off
and on
a path
forward,
certainly
since
COVID.
But what
we thought
was outmoded
has a devoted
following.
Wallowing
in grievance
and demanding
allegiance
will not
forward
us.
Looking toward
what was
is blurry,
leaving out
the worst
and worry.
But many
feel
more confident
in the current
fever dream.
The wish
of 4 years
ago
is merely
to hold
on.
Making
America
Great
Again,
as though
it’s something
we only
know
from long
ago,
is oh so
hollow.
In
the Mean
Time,
adults see
difference
as deficiency,
and insufficiency
of means
as moral
failing.
In the Mean
Time,
an embryo
has more
right
to life
than its
mother.
In the Mean
Time,
if that embryo
develops
to be
female,
she will
lose her
embryonic
rights.
In the Mean
Time,
the pro
life
movement
is aligned
with unfettered
access
to military
grade
weapons
that tend
to show
up
shooting
down
schools,
churches,
clubs,
synagogues,
theaters….
etc
etc
etc….
In the Mean
Time
putting
prisoners
to death
is deserved,
despite
claims
to (and of)
the right
to life.
In the Mean
Time,
adults
insult
others’
physicality
as abnormality
or deformity
or just ugly,
and therefore
worthy
of discussion.
Disgust
has no
end
in the
Mean Time,
even
when others
are inspired
to harm
“hearing”
alarm
in debasing
and chasing
some ego
reinforcement
or political
endorsement.
In
the Mean Time,
fear dictates
so a near
dictator
can reappear
as POTUS.
Where
can
we go
in
The Mean Time?
I track
my body’s
expenditures–
tallying
steps,
REM,
and deep
sleep.
My convenient
device
provides
advice
to keep
me resilient.
Physically,
it’s working;
I’m doing
better
than expected.
But my
field
of vision
is narrowing,
as the harrowing
crises
overwhelm these
data points.
In order
to prevent
sleeplessness
and foster
resilience,
I need
to care
less.
But I can’t.
We need
to engage
in ways
that are
interactive
and creative;
that address
the mess
from fossil
fuels
and plastic.
Truly drastic
measures
require
forgoing
pleasures
to which
we have
become
accustomed.
Losing
trust,
witnessing
those
intended
to see a
democracy
upended
is exhausting
to track.
And depressing.
The alienation
in this nation
is in part
caused by
a conflation
of news
and entertainment
—infotainment—
and cruelty
so that duality,
not plurality,
is insisted
upon.
We are lost,
and the cost
is literally
killing
the country
(and others)
and the planet.
Helplessness,
more than
sleeplessness,
is the urgent
and important
crisis to meet.
As we track
our daily
routines,
we are
far
afield
from living
from what
we’ve been
given.
We have
retreated
to repeated
tasks
when what
is actually
asked
of us
is to heal
each other
and our
environment.
Liberty
is a statue
commemorating
a virtue
welcoming
into our harbor,
absent
on the southern
border.
Insecure
from escapees
and refugees
seeking
asylum
after
an insanely
difficult
trek
under stars
and the blazing
sun,
overwhelming
our broken
system,
we no longer
talk of liberty
or freedom
from dangerous
or injurious
conditions
except
in Gaza
despite
Hamas.
The explosive,
corrosive,
divisions
pushing
boundaries
at the borders
within several
democracies,
while atrocities
unrelenting,
remind me
that
Lady Liberty
is a statue
from long
ago.
Our experiment
in liberty
has always had
an element
of hypocrisy,
sometimes forgetting
responsibility
and accountability
to others
that accompanies
her.
Don’t tread
on me:
it’s my liberty
for me
to be as free
as can be
unless
I’m powerless,
which often
means
without means.
(or a woman,
or person of
color;
or queer
or any other
minority
denied
liberty
because
it’s been
historically
otherwise
until
recently.)
But history
is being
written
anew
with old
conventions
and oppressions.
It’s as though
some want
liberty
to be an old
statue.
They will
demand
what
they please
ignoring pleas
that counter
their own
misperceived
threats
or preferences.
Their defenses
of god
and liberty
(and possibly
immunity)
are sculptures
of a culture
long dominant.
But liberty
stands
alone,
prominent,
as a definer
of human
beings.
Despite
Putin’s
war
to dominate
Ukraine,
the sane
understand
the demand
that liberty
is not merely
a statue,
but an evolution
itself
of self
and other
reckoning
from the beckoning
of the torch.
If you,
like me,
feel like
curling up
into
the fetal
position
from opposition
to IVF
after feeling
helpless
about Dobbs,
then let’s
explore
The Fetal Position.
Personhood
is understood
as a fetus,
or an anonymous
contributor
(or contributing
entity)
to a PAC,
or a corporation.
Actual
identifiable
people
are denied
rights
and
regarded
as wrong
if they belong
to the school
of thought
that suggests
life begins
after birth.
This
theocracy-
style
governance
is a supreme
encumbrance
not just
upon
women,
but upon
families,
communities,
and actually,
our democracy.
Hearts,
bank accounts,
systems,
are broken
for a token
win
that doesn’t
affect
the legislators’
lives;
only the lives
and livelihoods
of those
deemed
killing
personhoods
for securing
safer living
of actual
human beings.
The tortured
logic
for the gynecologic
obsessions
and supposed
transgressions
are injections
of a particular
(and peculiar)
religious
interpretation.
The anti-science
reliance
on a bible
as the guide
for literal
fetal
legal
accountability
will never
provide
sustainability.
From my
current fetal
position
I can only
suggest
that The Fetal
Position,
whose
mission
is prohibition,
abolition,
and ammunition
against
the proposition
of complexity
of life
and governance,
is a minority
of a party
whose priority
is superiority,
of course,
but also
authority
over others—
God fearing,
because
inspiring
fear
is what
they revere.
Fearing
government
and science
as slippery
slopes
promotes
anti-expert
(so-called
elite)
pronouncements.
Their
Fetal Position
is conceived
from religious
interpretation
now codified
as legislation.
We can’t
let our fear
keep us
in the
fetal position.
Find ways
to contribute
to uproot
this acute
and chronic
assault
on the embroyonic
and the Fetal
Position.
In my life,
political strife
has wrought
assassinations
and “the wife”.
Each was
so capable
in her own
right,
despite
forever
being linked
to her
husband’s
distinct
vision.
Killed
by opposition
to their
position
on issues,
or potential
power,
or who knows
why,
after they
died,
their
wives
carried
their legacies.
Jackie
modeled
dignity
and continuity
of the presidency
for our democracy
though grieving
profoundly.
Coretta
lead a
civil rights
movement
through social
justice
when the world
trusted us
to be
a beacon.
Yoko Ono,
another
forever
widow,
would not
let Lennon
love
weaken.
And Alexi
Navalny
who
sought
democracy
(really)
had a partner
against
Putin’s crimes.
Yulia Navalnaya,
while mourning
her spouse,
announced
her commitment
to the consistent
work
of freedom.
Her days
are likely
numbered,
in case
you wondered
if Tucker’s
portrayal
was helpful.
The Mrs
are hits
among
the public:
stoic,
iconic,
and
patriotic-
all despite
the chaotic.
Their strength
makes
the hit men
look weak.
Because
they ultimately
are.
lou sight 