Tuesday, May 27, 2014

In Memoriam



image borrowed from bing


In Memoriam

“Can it be in a world so full & busy, that the loss of just one
creature makes a void so wide that only the depth of eternity
can fill it up?”--Charles Dickens.


Memorial Day should always be
                       an epochal event,
but out here
in the smog, mid-maze, in full rodent frenzy,
we tend to let the shadow people,
                                          those behind
                                          or in charge          of the media
pile our mental plates with impiety,
                                          impenetrable dark bile,
racism, sexism, saber rattling, & milkbone doggy-lies,
as events & stories are presented to us without warmth;

like the twenty zealots who have camped out
                                      in a corner of the Mojave
for the past year, patiently waiting for the Messiah,
their eyes glazed,
their hopes luminous,
their efforts ludicrous;

like the stupid yet fresh debate regarding
                                       Michael Jackson’s vitilgo, that perhaps
only pedophiles suffer from it--
                                       propping open the doors of ignorance
with green-glass bottles
                                       and teletubbie back packs;

Like Kesha Rogers, a black woman, trying to lasso the Democratic
nomination for the Senate in Texas,
                                       her political platform consisting of
comparing Barack Obama to Hitler,
                                       & ObamaCare to Nazi cruelty:

like Ms. Ann Hornady of the Washington Post writing about
how the Frat-Boy Persona is depicted
                     in Hollywood movie “college allegories”,
                     where kids are all supposed to enjoy unbridled
Sex, Fun, & Pleasure.”
& that this kind of ridiculous celluloid mindset,
                     might have influenced
                     22 year old mentally-disturbed
Elliot Rodger to embark on his deadly
                      killing spree, his vendetta
against all those “spoiled bitches & college cunts!”

Actor Seth Rogen fired back an angry Tweet:
                       “How dare you even imply that me getting
                        girls in movies caused a lunatic 
                        to go on a rampage!” 

Meanwhile, on a quiet corner of the page,
within a few rushed moments on early morning broadcasts,
          we honored this country’s Veterans,
          who have given “the full measure of devotion”,
a solemn ceremony at Arlington;
          and as I stared at VA Director Shinseki
standing at attention on the dais with President Obama,

I couldn’t help but wonder
why the hell Kate Middleton received more press
yesterday when a helicopter rotor wash
                             blew up her pretty dress
                             exposing her shapely bare butt,
then those hundreds of Veterans
                             dead or dying, 
who sit on damn waiting lists while
                             cowardly bearuacrats cover their own asses,
& the very people we were supposed to be honoring
are rotting on the VA vine
like strange fruit.


Glenn Buttkus

Posted over on dVerse Poets Poetics

Would you like to hear the author read this poem to you?

17 comments:

brudberg said...

a world turned into intolerance and selfishness.. and look at France where the largest parties voted into the European parliament are racist, bigots and look at Greece where Nazis are back in power.. do we see totalitarian regimes and war coming back to Europe?... and US troops will not save Europe a third time... we are on our own.. and we support and vote for these bastards. Excellently written --- I like when you write with an edge.

Mary said...

Whew, this was quite a day-after-Memorial-Day read, Glenn. So much in the news at the moment that really makes one shake one's head. I hadn't heard that bit about Kate Middleton, but why it would be newsworthy at all is the question. Yes, we do need to be honoring and thanking our veterans center stage on Memorial Day, not on a 'quiet corner.' I went to visit a Veterans National Military Cemetery here this morning. ( And on the grounds of a VA Hospital as well.) Graves that go back to the Civll War. Definitely a moving experience.

Brian Miller said...

why...well, we did not even have a memorial day parade...and the DDay memorial is in our town...they had a one hour of hour over there...the powerful few control our minds and the flow of information...nice straight up no chaser verse brother....your words are hidden well as well...tight piece brother...

Unknown said...

Wow, Glenn... This piece is all a reminder of how backwards the world is. Middleton's ass, Rob Kardashian's weight gain, Kanye West and Kim K. getting married are top headline news - why? The real concerns in the world, you have to dig for... Of course, the general public's stupidity is why things are the way they are; everyone will dive in to comment on an article about a celeb... We're worried about all the wrong shit

Anonymous said...

A great job Glenn. I guess I don't need to catch up on what's been going on in the world. >KB

Claudia said...

oh heck that pic is tough
and your poem - snap - made me catch my breath a few times. it's weird what gets attention and what doesn't - frightening and sad - and you used those words so well that i totally forgot about them

Gabriella said...

I guess we should just switch the TV off or turn the radio off when the news is as shallow and useless as the ones you mention.
We are going to celebrate the 70th anniversary of D-Day here in France in a few days and, as Björn mentioned, one voter out of three here voted for the extreme right. People have no memory.

mrs mediocrity said...

Indeed. Some days, it's enough to make me want to bury my head in the sand, but eventually I surface again only to hear more bad news, inane commentary, scary rhetoric. I want to say "When will learn?" But I don't think there's an answer.
This is a really powerful piece.

Anonymous said...

Bloody well said, Glenn. You really laid it out there, no doubting how you feel. I'm so pissed off with the media, with politics.... Keep it coming, we need to shout loud.

Victoria said...

Bravo, signore! This is a pointed, powerful rant which I have to second. Our media is so very screwed up and to think what a powerful force it is in shaping the minds of so many clueless citizens. I am grateful to say I couldn't pick out most celebrities out of a line-up. I love it when your feathers get ruffled.

Grace said...

What's top news nowadays are trash & not significant ~ Maybe its a reflection of general public apathy to things that are important like healthcare & jobs ~ Good one Glenn ~

Anonymous said...

Your poetry speaks to all millions.

You put our reflections in how much we all consume in the everyday media.

I love your work my friend. :) Two-Thumbs wayyyyy!!!! up!!!! :)

Truedessa said...

Glenn,

We should be remembering our veterans and the important issues of life but, society is caught up
in nonsense. A powerful write with a strong voice. The veterans can't even get proper medical care. Priorities people priorities..

Margaret said...

… I wish I could say I didn't know what you were talking about - but yes, even I who watches very little news -not because I don't care, but because it's on "repeat" 24/7. Sigh. I remember one year my children and I walked the cemetery looking for veterans and soldiers graves that were not marked with flowers… It was really sweet - my little boy (about 4 then) saluted each grave…

Anonymous said...

Bravo! Maybe some day society will stop acting like herded sheep and think as individuals. It could change the world.

kaykuala said...

Would really like to see serious and important news. Sadly celebs news corner the market. Just shows such news override others as determined by the dollar signs for the news barons. Rightly said Glenn!

Hank

Anonymous said...

Well said, well written.