Poetry Project, V. 11.0, Day 19-20

     Why this theme?  I am certain that if there were enough people paying attention to this project this year, they are probably asking this question.  Why try this?  Poetry is supposed to be about greener pastures, hope and beauty and all those other things.  It's not supposed to be about unfairness, racism, the lack of human kindness, and all those other things.  If I am trying to write about healing, why write about the problems we face, rather than the good things to celebrate?

The answer is simple: people in pain don't have much to celebrate.  I'm not talking about me, personally.  I'm talking about the facade that we, as humans, are really great at putting up to avoid talking about things that are not comfortable to talk about.  We are really good at at.  So good, in fact, that we have entire industries devoted to escapism.  That's fine - I like escapism, too.  It's fun.  BUT, that doesn't mean that there aren't a lot of folks suffering - our friends and neighbors, our fellow countrymen.  We help heal the country by facing our problems - REALLY facing them - and having MEANINGFUL discussion about those problems.  Not facebook arguments, not spewing what your favorite media source told you - really encountering our problems.  Facing them head-on.  

     That is why I chose this theme. 

Day 19:

being right

my church says this,

my news says that,

and if everyone just does it that way, 

we will be fine.

everything is fine

if it's my way,

my thinking,

the way i live my life.

because it works for me, it must work for everyone,

and that's all that matters,

it means i'm right,

again,

and that is all that matters,

not you,

your values,

your needs,

your health,

your family,

your job,

or our community.

just as long as i am right.

We all know people like this.  At times, I know I have been this person - and I wager we have all been this person from time to time.  It's called being human - it's ok.  Well, it's ok as long as we recognize it when it happens, and take some corrective measures.  It's when we refuse to recognize it that it causes problems, and keeps the issues we currently face in this country from healing.

Day 20:

OK.  It's 4/20.  Many folks will get a chuckle out of this, because of the association with hemp.  Well.....let's look into that....after all, there's a great deal of research that says it can heal a lot of things.....

propaganda

war on this,

that,

people,

medicines,

convincing a generation  to buy into

thinking.

a legal brainwash of millions

so that a few people can make money,

and those whos lives

could be improved - 

hung in the balance.

and they kept at it - 

telling a next generation it was a

gateway to bad things.

it's one thing when it's applied to a medicine,

a drug -

but when it's to people,

brown, black, yellow, red -

it gets worse,

systemic,

and we start hearing phrases like 

"they're like this..."

and the propaganda machine grins 

at its own success.

Well, that's all for today, my friends.  Tomorrow marks the last day get to deal with healing a nation....we move on to the world from there!!!  Wow - this is getting a bit difficult, isn't it?  Yeah, this stuff gets harder to hear, and harder to write about, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't do the hard work, right??  As always,

Thanks for reading,

Me