When madness takes root,
When deviant behavior becomes a norm,
When great lies get great support —Let’s not forget the Hitler big lie,
No one “could have the impudence.
To distort the truth so infamously.”
Kim, the great leader1,
Playing golf for the first time
Scored five holes in one.
And then there’s the trump2,
A lie every so many hours,
Until now — election lost, damage done.3
Why do we wait so long
For consequences?
The end of slavery — the beginning of Jim Crow,
Support for one dictator after another,
The Trail of Tears, Wounded Knee,
The Massacre of Mormons in Illinois.
I wait for consequences.
I know will never occur.
The lies persist because they insist.
And never any consequences.
_______________
- Can’t make myself capitalize his name or title.
- This one's name either.
- “When Trump repeats the ridiculous story about the three million illegal votes – a story that no one knows, that not a single White House “staffer,” not a single Republican congressman actually believes to be true – he does not really care if anyone believes it. People aren’t meant to believe it; they’re meant to be intimidated by it.” —New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik
| Copyright © 2021 by Michael H. Brownstein Michael H. Brownstein’s volumes of poetry, A Slipknot Into Somewhere Else and How Do We Create Love?, were published by Cholla Needles Press in 2018 & 2019, respectively. |
Michael, alas that everyone is too taken up with the events forming the context of your poem to stop a moment and thank you for your testament. I have been as well. But I’m here now, this moment. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHi, this is Lennie Cox.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to know more on Michael Brownstein's views of consequences. He mentions it in his piece about mace and here again it is quite prominent. He appears to feel there are never any consequences. I'm wondering what his true feelings are.
Oh, no, I believe there are real consequences for our actions. Unfortunately, too often, we do not get to see the consequences and other times no one feels there is a need for consequences. I felt the parents involved in the mace situation at least needed a day in court. I feel--and it appears to be happening right now--that our president needs to suffer consequences for his recent oratory that caused a serious breach in the fabric of our nation.
ReplyDeleteHere's something else. After the Flint, Michigan water issue where children drank water contaminated by lead--I waited for consequences. Nothing. That is until today--I read nine individuals have been indicted and charged due to the water problem. Consequences!
ReplyDeleteI just finished an interview with former Guardian editor who referred to our present media environment as "Information Chaos."
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=3652201304863735
Of course I'm sure Michael is well aware of the disgraceful record of both the media and the Democrat Party. A record that Trump beautifully characterized as "Fake News." "Fake Hillary," "Sleepy Joe." Say what you want, Trump sure has a way of verbally nailing someone.
ReplyDeleteI feel no need to remind Michael or anyone else who has been following US Political History that, ever since the grand old days of Yellow Journalism and William Randolph Hurst, "Fake News" Has remand the most accurate way to describe our Fourth Estate, at least the best description of our present, corporate controlled stenographers of power.