image from factnet.org
Parched
“We have been living through a time of sorrow. Our
seed remains seed, but our nostrils are dusty.”
--Warren Eyster.
The Earth is in crisis, yet again.
This time we are calling it Global Warming.
In our Southwest, rivers are quickly turning into
trickle streams, and reservoirs are drying up
into silty puddles--but damn, too often when it
does rain, it hits like a torrent, as vehicles hydro--
plane off highways into overflowing ditches, and
terrible flash floods roar down
dry arroyos seeking victims.
Republicans inform us, in their incredible ignorance,
that we are delusional, that global warming is nothing
more than a liberal illusion, while we watch glaciers
melt, & Venice & New Orleans lose streets to the sea.
I tell you there is a drought in politics as well,
where anger stimulates stupidity,
where democracy limps like a lame dog,
where liberty is losing its luster,
where fascists, racists, bullies, and bankers seed fear
into a cash crop, reaping millions of misguided supporters,
where justice becomes a slut, bought & sold, as lawyers,
judges, & politicians strut arrogantly like a den of whore
mongers.
When lips are parched,
we pray for rain, but we must
beware of deluge.
Glenn Buttkus
Posted over at dVerse Poets Pub
Global warming is real and only those who are blind and have business interests are blind. I really like the turn to having drought in politics Glenn. It is a bad situation when justice becomes a slut, bought and sold by politicians. A strongly worded post, thanks for the wonderful read too.
ReplyDeleteRemarkable piece! Cleverly written and voiced...poignant and articulated, brilliant and visceral material. Blessings, Poppy...
ReplyDeleteAh this poem has bite. You nailed it in your descriptions of politics in today's world.
ReplyDeleteIt's a crazy world out there Glenn. There is sure a drought of sanity, for sure. Thanks,
ReplyDeletesuch strong voice needs to be heard more...where money matter rules ignorance is fanned & no wonder darkness deluges....
ReplyDeleteWeLL.. Leaving out
ReplyDeleteall the pre-game
E-mail fiasco's.. i have
pleasantly and even excitingly
pleased aR the outcome of the
Democratic Convention.. it
sure beats
a Vampire
Convention
of Zombies
who are divisive
as the brain who
refuses to be eaten..
yeah.. like the devil
eating itself
whole
boldly
iN front oF liGht..
Hope wins..
Love wins..
it does
at leAst
on the individual
level in a sTiLL free
country noW.. the rest
oF it i'LL leave uP to the
rule makers after i vote..
and what comes may WiLL
no use to spiLLeD miLk
when honey iS
juSt
a tAble
spooN
iN way..:)
I don't understand American politics at all and have been watching the news aghast. But those lines of yours have given my thoughts and feelings a voice:
ReplyDelete'where anger stimulates stupidity,
where democracy limps like a lame dog,
where liberty is losing its luster,
where fascists, racists, bullies, and bankers seed fear
into a cash crop, reaping millions of misguided supporters,
where justice becomes a slut, bought & sold, as lawyers,
judges, & politicians strut arrogantly like a den of whore
mongers.'
All summed up beautifully in the haiku.
"and bankers seed fear
ReplyDeleteinto a cash crop, reaping millions of misguided supporters,
where justice becomes a slut, bought & sold, as lawyers,
judges, & politicians strut arrogantly like a den of whore
mongers."
Amazing response as always, Glenn. Especially the lines I've quoted above. You seem to always hit the nail on the head and give energy to your words. So here's what I've seen in the last 10+ days: the RNC where 3 children and a wife spoke in support of a candidate (1 with plagiarized words from the wife of the current president), Scott Baio who'd shared a demeaning sexist post on the "opposition" and whose claim to fame is a minor role in a tv show that was about the 50s, and the CEO of a fight (wrestling) club, a presidential nominee speech that was negative to the extreme, and a sitting convention room that looked like, in the words of an analyst last night on CNN, "Finland." DNC: a sitting convention room that is a microcosm of the US population, speakers that included sitting senators, a mothers' movement whose children violently met their deaths, an accomplished woman in a mechanized wheel chair (juxtaposed to a clip of Tump bodily and orally mocking the disabled -- that occured within the past 10 months), Hispanic women who are in jobs of note, whose parents were illegal immigrants yet have jobs and are taxpayers. Okay. I'll stop there. The difference is there for all to see. I do not understand why people cannot say this: I am a Republican. But this year, this is not the Republican party I know. I am in the party and for the basic tenets of the party, but I am not for the man this party has nominated this year. Some are saying this -- and I hope more will.
Oh my -- I'm on a tirade here. Apologies, Glenn. But your words are so powerful here -- and you always tell it like it is.
I appreciate this post. I appreciate your words.
“We have been living through a time of sorrow. Our
ReplyDeleteseed remains seed, but our nostrils are dusty.”
--Warren Eyster.
Just love this quote. Nice starting lines. Good one there.
As usual, not touching the politics at all. But it does seem our earth is in a woeful state and just will keep getting worse. Flash floods are the end result too often in dougth times suddenly when rain suddenly torrents. Sigh. It just seems like everyone now is angry about something and making sure everyone knows about it. A drought in our souls of human kindness and respect. The senryu at the end really sums up these angry times. Great work as always.
ReplyDeleteI love this part of the quote: "Our
ReplyDeleteseed remains seed, but our nostrils are dusty."
Great line break: "rivers are quickly turning into"
I love this phrase: " t[r]ickle streams" ... It makes me think of being tickled by water. :) Also a trick-lay [try clay] // st(r)eam seam ream team.
Ya dig? ;)
Love this too: "into silty puddles" ... Silty (S/ill, thank you) ... also Silly T.
I know. I'm a goober. Bipolar. Off my meds. But my crazy'll grow on you, even though you're certain it won't.
"as(s)-vehicles hy/dr/o" ... :)
"roar down" ... I LOVE this! Like a lion person whose roar comes out as feathers.
"dry arroyos seeking victims" ... dr. y/why arrow yo-yos? see king v/ic/ti/m(e)s.
You hate me. But you love me too. :)
"melt, & Venice & New Orleans lose streets to the sea (see)" ... I love this line. I love "melt" as a command.
"where justice becomes a slut" ... (au)Jus/tice becomes a slut? WHERE?!
Hee hee.
"pol(e)it/i/ci/ans strut arrogantly like a den of whore
mongers" ... Hearts for this.
"W/hen l/ips are p/arched"
"but / we must" ... Then take a bath, silly. ;)
"beware of deluge" ... Yeah. You probably should. Unless it's "be/wear of(f) de-loogey" ... That's when De wipes her throat-mucus on Brian or Bjorn. Or bees, which would be a pretty serious talent. Let's ask her if she can do that ... if she ever comes back!!!
It may be dry but there's still political mud to sling! Great quote and photo to go with strong words.
ReplyDeleteToo much and not enough at the same time. Insightful and strong work, Glenn. Thank you for sharing your thoughts (I am in heartfelt agreement from across the pond - here in the UK it's similarly anger-inducing).
ReplyDeletePower poem, Glenn. You tied up many people's feelings and fears in an amazing poem. Every time I think it cannot get worse, Donald speaks.
ReplyDeletethere is sadly a drought in politics. i am fed up with the two party system that parades itself as democracy, or representative government. who represents me? who did i vote for - who they put in front of me.
ReplyDeletewe will deny our reality until we have to face it - in politics and global warming.
In our Southwest, rivers are quickly turning into
ReplyDeletetrickle streams, and reservoirs are drying up...
I think that from the poem, this words stood out for me.