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Sieve of Eratosthenes
“Hang onto your dreams,
for if dreams die,
life is a broken-winged bird
that cannot fly.”--Langston Hughes.
My wife and I worked with the blind for decades.
We felt that the year 2020 would have special
significance for us. 20/20 represents perfect
visual acuity. 2020 is the inception of a new
decade that could/should represent Hope--
like those Obama campaign posters; contrasted
to the Trump posters that read Nope, Dope, and
Trope.
But 2020 dawned like a dangerous dragon, bring-
ing chaos, fire, and death. Trump hovers over our
nuclear arsenal like Dr. Strangelove on opioids. The
Middle East remains a bellicose quagmire, a bloody
cauldron, swaying to the tune of Death to Infidels.
From space, Australia looks like a nuclear bomb test
site, an angry lesion on the bottom of the planet.
Trump’s deserved impeachment remains half-done,
like legal divorce papers missing a second signature,
like slapping your bad dog with a rolled-up newspaper
after he just killed 500 chickens for sport.
So here we are, holding funerals for extinct glaciers,
rattling our sabers in time with the strident Farsi
throat warbles, attending fascist rallies, and killing
Jews during High Holy Days. Before we can tout
new beginnings, we must push Capt. Bly into his
lifeboat, choose a new captain, and chart a new
course; for the edge of the world beckons.
Holidays wither.
We must make ready, planting
strong seeds and grand hopes.
Glenn Buttkus
Haibun
Posted over at dVerse Poets Pub
12 comments:
I appreciate your reality check haibun and agree, "the edge of the world beckons." I'm way in Bernie Sanders' corner. #Bernie2020 #FeelTheBern #StillSanders.
Amen to the strong seeds and grand hopes, Glenn. Let us hope this idiot doesn't get us into war before his time is up.
Your comprehensive and thoughtful Haibun leaves much for contemplation. I like the hope your haiku brings to the beginning of the new year!
I share your thoughts here Glenn. I must choose to be hopeful or I will implode personally. A terrible realization has taken residence in my mind. If we are embroiled in a war, it will be difficult to finish throwing out the garbage — and I fear he has realized that.
If only everyone had 20:20 vision, we wouldn’t be in this terrible mess. But, as you write, 2020 has dawned like a dangerous dragon, and we watch in shock as Armageddon unfolds. Where are the superheroes when we need them?
Definitely clapping after reading this. Your description of each disaster (sadly our reality) moves me. The hopeful ending is the perfect period as well. Great job.
You nailed it Glenn.
This world is a shambles. If wars were fought on American soil the Trumps would maybe think twice about starting them.
I wonder what why people can't see... how can anyone believe a pathological liar.
Happy New Year to you too
"strong seeds and grand hope"
Indeed!!
Happy New Year GLEN
Much🎆love
FIRST: I LOVE the Langston Hughes quotation. I adore his writing and this quotation is just spot on.
2020: visual acuity. May we wake up and really see what is happening and not allow the short-sighted to maintain their hold. I choose the positive sense of your ending haiku. We cannot have four more years with this occupant at the helm.
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