United States

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.

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.

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?

Kirk’s Enterprise

Charlie Kirk’s 

horrific demise

as he pursued

his enterprise

as a conservative force

through

political discourse,

should be

our turning point,

USA.

This school shooting,

unlike the other,

was political;

an intentional

act of violence

to silence

debate-

the latest

in a spate

of hate

crimes

against

political

figures.

The triggers

may be

multiple

but when

the political

is emotional

and what 

seemed

impossible 

is no longer

notional,

anything

becomes

motivational

against

a perceived

enemy.

Because

the hate

is visceral

when our

discourse

is so 

uncivil,

we can’t be

casual

about this

hit,

especially when

it

took place

on a college

campus.

Now

most of us

can feel 

the real

pain and sorrow

for his widow

and his children.

But can we

mourn for 

a person

who sparked

attention

for opposition

that may 

have intended

to provoke

and offend

if not

upend,

the woke

when he spoke?

I am chilled

by the blood

that’s been

spilled,

and I feel

my own

turning point.

Our enterprise

can’t be

the demise

of opposing

another’s belief.

Let this 

monstrous

event

help us 

to reinvent

good grief.

I just realized

that today

is 9/11.

What

have we

become?

To boldly go

where no 

one

has gone

before

was the American

enterprise

(cleverly

stated in

the Star Trek

franchise),

at the birth

of our 

democratic

republic.

But we have

succumbed

to hate

and fear

that we’re

in our

final frontier.

Our reaction

to terror

is often

contraction,

while

heightening

security.

But political

(and social)

purity

is immaturity,

not worthy

of who we

need to be.

Taking Dictation

I have no

capacity

for taking

dictation

or anything

else

like it.

I’ll never be

a secretary

or assistant

to 

an administrator

who listens to

a dictator.

Those compliant

with a tyrant

like those

who chose

to remain

silent,

may survive

and even 

thrive,

for 

at least

a while

or more.

But,

in time,

history’s 

rhyme

will seek

poetic

justice.

It’s not

just us

as never 

before

or ever

again.

When power

corrupts

and monopolizes,

taking dictation

finalizes

consolidation

of power.

Whether 

government

or corporation,

the excessive 

power

manifestation

somehow

gets justification

(and monetization )

while deterioration

ensues.

But…

You have agency

to disrupt

complacency 

and the responsibility

to do so.

Those who

take notes

in history

class

know the past

is more

than prologue.

It’s a dialogue

with the present

and future

that we must

nurture

without

taking

dictation.

Mass Murder. Literally. Moms Demand Action

Children.

Children.

Children attending

Mass.

Murdered.

At School.

In Church

there.

Thoughts

and prayers

instead of laws

by naysayers

when kids 

were literally

shot

while praying.

Alas,

this is mass

murder,

literally

at mass.

How much

more crass

can we be?

I saw a

photo

like no

other

of a 

mother

running 

down the

street

in bare

feet

holding 

her shoes,

sprinting

toward 

the school,

with mother’s

fuel

and fear.

I tear

up just

thinking of

this image;

this extraordinary,

yet insanely

ordinary

scene.

Just back

to school.

Nothing

more cruel,

than doing

nothing

about

mass 

murder.

especially

of children.

Don’t accept

this

unconscionableness.

We can’t remain

still,

hopeless.

Momentum

takes time.

You can take action now:

https://momsdemandaction.org/

The Point of No Return

The point of

no return

is to learn-

not just

yearn-

for something

else.

We don’t 

grow younger

or

have more

innocence

when life

provides us

ongoing

experience.

We tend to 

digress

and at times

regress

making progress

seemingly

less 

likely.

Home isn’t

there

where it 

is no more,

before

we moved

away.

We can’t

really stay

the way

we were,

but we sure

can mature

and play

wiser.

Ironically,

it looks

quite silly,

but seems 

to be 

impactful.

Forget 

being tactful.

We live

in the gutter

now.

It’s how

you utter

the message

that matters

so it splatters

across all

media.

No encyclopedia

needed,

just deep 

seeded

anger,

and a commitment

to mirror

this horror

show.

The point 

of no

return

is to know

(and to show)

that we are

better than

this.

To boldly 

go 

where no

one

has gone

before

has moved 

from Star Trek

to South Park;

our stark

cartoonish

reality.

Finally,

heroically,

momentum

is increasing

as Newsom

is teasing

Trump,

with a 

shocking,

and mocking

style.

Sadly,

this is 

progress,

(and also

hilarious)

if we are 

serious

about 

the point

of no

return.

DC Comic Con

It’s a marvel

to behold

what’s about

to unfold

in DC.

Crime is down

in the capital

town,

despite

what the 

spiteful

prez says.

He’ll pretend

to defend

all that is

sacred

when really

it’s hatred

he  preserves

and unleashes.

He releases

The Guard

when the going

gets hard-

only

for him.

Funny

how  despite

his bluster,

he couldn’t 

muster

The National

Guard

—it was too

hard—

during

his insurrection.

Now his protection

against

being a joke

is deflection

and crackdown

wherever it’s 

woke

in his projection.

LA

and DC,

and soon each

city

will start to see

and pay 

dearly

for this beloved

embodiment

of antiestablishment:

the president

who regards

the presidency

as a joke

of expediency

to be ever more

greedy

and powerful

because he

can.

Plastic Surgery

I’m a hypocrite;

I know it.

I admit it,

though

I think 

the problem

is public

as well as

corporate.

I know

it would be

drastic

to forgo

the use of

plastic,

because it

really is

fantastic,

but it’s 

poisonous.

Poisoning us

like smoking

does,

without noticing

thus.

Leaching into

water sources,

air and soil,

natural resources,

mammals

and all animals,

and the atmosphere

here

on earth,

is deceptively toxic

from so much plastic.

Who knew 

that from

the era of

“The Graduate”

we’d gradually,

inadvertently,

blindly,

slowly

kill everything.

Micro 

and nano

plastics

are found

underground

and inside us.

But the demand

for change

in how we 

arrange

our lives

for health

is rather strange.

We know

the plastic

problem

continues

to grow,

though we

dare not

abstain,

which is 

a stain

on our 

humanity.

Kennedy,

the Secretary

of Health,

and Human

Services,

has an opportunity

to shift away

from mRNA

funding cuts,

to finding 

the guts

to take on

Big Plastic.

It’s so ubiquitous,

this poisonous

stuff 

that’s poisoning

us 

and the environment,

but its

retirement

is not yet

a conversation.

It will 

necessitate

those who 

might hesitate

to boldly

demand policy

private

and public,

that plastic

becomes

less ubiquitous

and poisonous

to us

and every

living thing

around us.

Start here:

https://www.beyondplastics.org/act

https://www.beyondplastics.org/