United States

The Nutcracker

I never understood

how a nutcracker

could

be

a favorite

gift

until now. 

Oh how sweet

the suite

has been

this week. 

Like the famed

ballet

our nutcrackers 

today

are soldiers

of the good

and just.

The Nutcracker

kills

the menacing

7 Headed

Mouse King,

allowing

the land 

of the sweets

to thrive.

Earlier this week

The Mouse King

made references

to his preferences

for dictators

and his desire

to hire

those 

who will impose

restrictions

and revenge.

But our 

Nutcrackers

have been

cracking

while

the nutty

keep attacking,

because

it’s what

they do.

Now Rudy

owes Ruby

and Shaye

a ginormous

pay day,

and more

to come

because

he won’t

succumb

to accountability.

Judge Engoron

closed the door on

the lies

of the “expert

witness”

of the Mouse King.

And Bravo,

Colorado,

for disqualifying 

the horrifying

candidacy

of the Mouse King.

Letitia James,

Fani Willis,

Jack Smith,

and so many

other

Nutcrackers

among us,

are doing 

the work

of justice

as we wait

for Christmas

whatever

time of year

it comes,

bearing

the gift

of blocking

The Mouse King

forever.

Heart Failure

Dis-ease

was becoming

chronic.

We became

fatigued.

Politics

became nauseating.

Ego edema

created swelling

that made

us 

unrecognizable,

as we 

itched

and twitched

for something

better.

Our organ

for filtering

waste

became wasted

on itself,

the damage

progressive

with conservative

treatment.

But conservative

now means

conserving

the dis-ease,

not the balance

or flow

to ensure

functionality.

And with

a sick

body

each organ

of the organization

becomes

compromised

without compromise.

This

is what 

being

seriously ill

feels like.

Our heart

is failing

us.

Waste

and bile

are no longer

filtered,

and our heart

is giving

out.

The heart

is our

center

with right

and left

sides

that need

each other

to fulfill

its task.

Our heart

is the core

of our

life.

Our heart

is our 

purpose.

History

is our brain.

It stores

the stories

that give 

meaning.

We have always

had a mean

history 

alongside

lofty aspirations

and accomplishments.

Our heart

and brain

contain

us 

but strain

us 

when either

is drained

of functionality,

no longer

self regulating.

History

(and therefore

life)

is a spiral.

But viral

contagions

can attack

various parts

of the body,

as we learned

in 2020.

The most

essential

part 

of us,

the heart,

is failing

us

from abuse

and under use, 

as it has

and hasn’t

before.

We can

restore

our functionality

without

the cult

of personality

and criminality

or sentimentality.

We see 

our own

banality

of evil

and those

who have

lost

their humanity.

Our heart

was attacked,

and the walk 

back

to recovery

is painfully

slow,

a feature

and a bug

of democracy.

But now,

the enemy

of the good

is not 

imperfection;

it’s insurrection

and rejection

of our heart. 

We must

reject

the heartless,

no matter

how taxing.

Don’t

just sit

there.

It’s bad

for

the heart.

Terminator Too

A second

term

will

be the first

time

we will

come to terms

with our own

demise

as a democracy.

Trumping

up

conspiracies

and other

theories

in order

to grab

the presidency,

the 45th

POTUS

seeks 

not just

a rematch,

but to hatch

a plan

for the Mar-a-Lago

man

to remain 

in the White House

the rest

of his

life span.

The four year 

term

would be

terminated

along with

the Constitution

and any 

institution

that he terms

problematic.

He’s like

a termite—

hiding 

just out

of sight

behind

the walls

before 

they crumble

from years

of the pest’s

consumption,

until

the destruction

is structural

damage.

He seeks

to avoid

a prison

term

(or 4)

by running

for President

of MAGAstan.

Coining

and coopting

terms 

of speech

for agreement

that the breach

with democracy

is somehow

other

than his.

The deep 

state 

of subversion

and

his perversion

are on display

every

day.

In terms of

options,

one thing

we can 

do

is hold

those who 

enable,

even seemingly stable,

to account.

The MAGA

malignancy

requires

proficiency

in democracy

to build

resiliency.

Despite 

imperfections,

rejecting

deflections

(and certainly,

insurrections),

is a starting point

for keeping

The Terminator

from seeking

a forever

next term. 

The problem

ain’t 

Biden;

it’s those

hidin’

behind 

The Terminator

along with

The Terminator

Too.

Gag Reflex

A Gag 

Order

was reinstated.

You know 

what that 

means:

a dare

to air

and impair

potential

jurors,

witnesses,

clerks,

and anyone

associated

with each

trial

of the vile

former POTUS.

He taunts

what he wants

with the confidence

of no consequence

to him. 

The running gag

is no joke

however much

he needs

to provoke

and invoke

“rights”

that are wrong.

That reflex

is strong

but doesn’t 

belong

only to him.

The say anything

world

in which 

we live

could use

more thought

before

speaking freely.

Of course

celebrity

adds intensity

to any message.

So retractions

soon follow

as they swallow

their pride 

trying to hide

their ugly

or stupid

side.

And now 

universities,

struggle with

absurdities

beyond fraternities

as asymmetries

highlight

bigotries

and hostilities,

no longer on

the peripheries

of campus life.

Everywhere

people

seem to reflect

less

and sloganeer

more.

Meanwhile….

“We’ll see

what happens,”

as he likes

to say,

now gagged

and bound

by law 

and order. 

His Gag 

Reflex

effects

everything

coming up. 

Mike Drop

News dropped

yesterday

about

the fateful day

of January 6th

nearly  

three years 

ago.

Pensive Pence

considered skipping

the election certification

proceedings,

noting 

that there were

“too many questions”

and it would be

“too hurtful

to 

my friend.”

His friend,

the fiend,

brought him

along 

for the ride,

and now 

it was getting

even bumpier

and Trumpier.

Pence’s book

notes,

“You know,

I don’t have

the authority to change

the outcome,”

but later

he contended

that the comma

never should have been

placed there:

“You know I don’t 

have the authority

to change 

the outcome…” .

Dropping the comma

changes the insinuation

about the situation

causing consternation

almost three years 

later.

His son,

a marine,

sought

to intervene 

saying,

“Dad, 

you took the same oath

I took….

an oath

to support 

and defend 

the constitution.”

Ultimately, 

Mike supervised

after

his life

was jeopardized

as the Capitol attackers

chanted

“Hang Mike Pence!”.

He survived

and certified

the election.

But to now get

an inkling

into his thinking

and the sprinkling

of information

almost 3 years

hence,

proves that Pence

was no better

despite 

knowing better

than the rest

who didn’t 

want to be

dropped. 

Post Impressionism

Vermin.

From the river to the sea.

Globalists.

Confederate flag.

Noose.

Ok gesture.

Welfare Queens.

Real Americans.

Law and Order.

America First.

MAGA.

Speech

can be

a weapon

that kills

the bodies

politic

and civic.

Let’s not

pretend

that words

may offend

without 

consequences.

Posting hate

through images

visual

and linguistic

is intentionally 

antagonistic

and characteristic

of the most

objectionable

among us.

Proudly

bigoted,

they promote

identity-based

appeals.

These signals

of utterly

inappropriate

appropriations

are coded 

language

that convey

affiliation

by othering

while intentionally

demeaning.

The Dog Whistles

that may have

once been

mostly political

are predictable

and critical

for everyone

to hear.

This coded

communication 

provides 

information

and plausible

deniability.

Hate speech

may be free

to post,

but the cost

of expression

that leaves 

an impression

of hate

and threat

as code

for action

is not 

an abstraction

or mere

distraction.

There is no

innocence

in a call

to violence

without

saying as much.

The impression

says it all. 

Gutted

It’s so very

exhausting.

Thoughts

abound

suggesting how

to live 

better.

More this.

Less that.

Kale?

Pro

Democracy.

Anti

Autocracy.

Greener.

Cleaner.

Healthier planet,

gut,

you name it.

Safety.

Growth.

Resilience.

Endless

issues

demanding

urgent,

immediate

attention.

Everything

feels like

crisis

self imposed.

Backlash to

institutional

disparities,

injustices,

bigotries—

hate

with deep roots

like oaks trees

and hickories

live for 

centuries.

It’s overwhelming

and painful

to reckon

how we are

living now.

I can not 

tolerate

the intolerable,

or accept

the unacceptable,

which is inundating 

us 

daily. 

I am enervated

but not 

yet

defeated.

The culture 

that I embraced

is being 

gutted

without conditions

suitable

for growth. 

We may

or may not

need kale,

but the gut

needs

to be rid

of toxins

and create

homeostasis

to foster 

health. 

Fire Power

With 

the former

guy

who branded

himself

on tv

saying,

“You’re fired,”

the wannabe

important,

desperate 

for attention

and power,

led

the charge

to fire

the Speaker

of 

the House.

An assault

on The House

of Representatives

again,

this time

we witnessed

from within,

it is clear

that 

fire

and power,

assaulting

institutions

and traditions

while

calling themselves

conservative,

is the Republican

brand

in the 21st century.

Cruelty

sparks drama

while pretending

it’s some sort 

of political

philosophy.

This century

began for us

with a disputed

election

followed

by a terrorist

attack

from

abroad.

The answer

to difficulty

and complexity

it seems,

is assault 

weapons. 

Now in human

form,

some openly 

carry

banners 

and weapons

of hate

to intimidate

to feel

important.

AH, 

to be

seen

in scene

after scene,

matters more

than governance.

It’s the anti

social

media power

that

fires up 

the pyromaniac

group.

I thought

of calling

this

“Burning Down

The House”.

But fire power

is really 

the only

discernable

stance 

beyond 

no taxes

that is consistently

attempted

at all costs.

Excusing

hostage 

taking 

with a government 

shutdown.

Excusing

mass shootings.

Excusing

insurrection,

and then twisting

and distorting

truth

while nuclear

secrets

were being

shared.

The relentless

spray,

like an 

AK

47,

requires

more 

than duck

and cover

and remaining

silent.

Dumb and Dumber

“Every time

I hear

you,

I feel

a little bit

dumber”,

hailed

candidate Haley.

Honestly,

I feel this

all the time

every time

I hear,

read,

see

news.

Some want

candidates

to say 

what the

voter

feels,

like:

Make

America

Great

Again.

or 

Yes 

We 

Can.

Defund

(you name 

it)

or

My pronouns

are…

or 

Build

Back

Better

or even

The Climate

Crisis—

no matter 

how valid,

the issues

have been

poorly

constructed

taglines.

These have

caused

backlash,

mockery,

spin,

failed explanation,

but little

social connectivity

beyond 

the already

connected. 

Even

pro-lifers

understand

the misnomer,

and seek

to advance

a more 

effective

rebranding

to keep

abortion

a crime.

Knowing

the fraud

perpetrated

in front

of us,

while

pretending

it’s just

business

as usual,

keeps us

fighting

a rather

uncivil

war

of culture.

Languaging

the culture

becomes

most

important. 

‘Alternative

facts’

is now

an alternate

reality.

‘Alternate’

electors

were

real news,

despite

the 

declaration

that

‘lame-stream’

(Palin’s Seussian

coined term

for mainstream)

news

is Fake 

News.

As 21st

century-

speak 

defines

a new era,

now 

the sides

have different

languages

further

balkanizing

the states

we are in.

I feel dumber

every time

I hear

the attempts

to project

fraud

on the

electorate

when the

evidence

is abundant.

As the 

dumbing

down

gets dumber,

it seems

to get

dirtier.

Disregard

for any 

correlation

between

verbiage

and 

reality

means

anything

can be uttered

or typed

with no

accountability.

Fraud-

shmaud,

as there

is no debate

about 

who they applaud

on his own

stage

staging

a get- out-

of- jail-

run -for -his-

life-

candidacy

for President.

Our feeling

defeated

and depleted

is the goal.

I’ll take

feeling dumb,

but we can’t

be numb

to the inanity

and insanity

being perpetrated

upon us.

Don’t withdraw.

Don’t stay silent.

Don’t be mute.

Don’t be dumb.

The Blazer

She wore a white 

blazer

as she testified,

while her bosses

lied

and she felt

threatened.

Now iconic,

and a bit ironic,

that the then 25

year old young

woman

would be the 

strongest

voice

of truth

and bravery.

She was

inspired 

by a historical

parallel

figure

from 50 years

ago,

speaking truth

to power.

The image

of The Blazer,

the young woman

in white,

is a sartorial

suggestion

of connection

to suffragettes

and election

equality

and integrity.

The symbol of hope

and purity

that white clothes

denote

suited

the Chief of Staff

of the Chief of Staff. 

With recent

interviews

as her book

previews,

the ordinary 

insults 

women

constantly 

endure

come to the

fore,

alongside

the rest

of the sickening

behaviors,

those most

entrusted

thrusted

upon her.

Saddled

with debt

and fearing

for

her safety,

The Blazer

is now

showing up

on shows

discussing 

Enough.

She is careful

and truthful

and I imagine

a likely

witness

for the 

prosecutions.

Her contributions

are blazing

a trail,

despite 

what happens

over the months

ahead

(which I

already

 dread).

I am grateful

for her 

strength

and so admire

the length

to which

she is willing

to be

a Blazer.