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Have Mercy
“For those who expect to reap the blessings of
freedom--they must undergo the fatigues of
supporting it.”--Thomas Paine
To the coal miner,
who has been out of work for years,
now addicted to heroin,
who voted for Trump:
“Blessings be upon you.”
To the 25 year old veteran,
losing three limbs to a roadside bomb,
who now only has the VA
to count on for help
to repair his mangled body
and tortured soul:
“To be an American is to enjoy the blessings
of liberty, freedom, and justice for all.”
To the truncated Syrian family
living in a huge refugee camp,
having their single meal of the day--
moldy bread, rancid rice, & grass soup:
“Oh Allah ! Bless this food you have
provided us.”
To the 12 year old
newly initiated gang member,
who helped beat an old woman
to death for her tattered purse,
forced to go to church
by his grandparents
who he lives with,
since his father is in prison.
and his mother died of a drug overdose,
who is taking communion:
“Taste and see that the Lord is good--
blessed are the ones who take refuge in him.”
To the 15 year old girl
who is pregnant
after being raped by her father,
who no longer can be helped
by the under-funded Planned Parenthood:
“God bless America. You know I get things
done--and in the end, everybody likes me.”
--Donald J. Trump.
Glenn Buttkus
Posted over at dVerse Poets Pub
16 comments:
What a bone shattering dystopian poem, the contrast between the blessings and reality is heartbreaking, and I wander - is there not a better world somewhere
So difficulat to read........some people live their hell on earth.
Bitter blessings indeed.
A powerful write as always from you Glenn. Here in the darkest recesses of humanity blessings may seem to fall on stony ground and not take seed but even from under the deepest concrete a flower may grow.
Blessings from Donald. Dark. We'll have to see how they work out.
An ironic blessing - heavy on the iron. Nice one, Glenn!
So terribly sad, we really aren't taking very good care of each other are we....I think "bone shattering" is appropriate...We need to be kinder to our fellow man/woman.
Sharp, biting, and smart.
Such an evocative write, Glenn. My first effort was a sort of counting of my blessings, but when I read it from the perspective of those left fortunate it seemed self-serving and I discarded it. While I'm grateful for my blessings, I'm all too aware of those who struggle for barest survival. You bring that home in startling fashion. Bravo
The harsh realities of life can be devastating ~ I love how you described each heartbreaking scenario, and give your blessings Glenn ~ May we be blessed with giving such mercy and compassion to others ~
I can't help but endorse the sarcasm in this poem.
Which just goes to show the uselessness of being blessed. Doesn't make life any easier.
You don't pull punches here. These are the realities some seem unable to see. I hope they may be blessed anyway.
That sarcasm didn't go unnoticed by me either. The contrast of "reality" and the empty "blessings" are startling. Excellent, Glenn.
Wow. Well done!
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