Best U.S. Government Poems
This poem was written after I took a tour of the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in Wyoming, the site of Custer's Last Stand.
It was the year eighteen sixty-eight.
The U.S. government signed the Fort Laramie Treaty.
The Black Hills were to be closed to white settlements,
Preserved for the Lakota Indians
Forever, so long as the buffalo roamed.
'Forever' lasted less than eight years.
The eastern railroads needed meat for their track crews,
So professional hunters followed the rails westward.
Men like 'Buffalo Bill' made their living
Killing the buffalo for meat, hides, and sport.
It was the year eighteen seventy-two.
America celebrated its centennial.
Gold was discovered in the Black Hills,
And people in their thousands rushed to the west
Seeking fortunes and living space.
Most of them were immigrants to America
Fleeing depression and prejudice,
And ready to ignore the letter of the treaty law.
Towns quickly sprung up along the immigrant trails.
Towns like Deadwood - an illegal encampment
In the midst of Indian land.
People like Calamity Jane - an illegal immigrant.
Wild Bill Hickok - another illegal.
In the year eighteen seventy-six
The U.S. government sent the army to remove the Indians
From 'their land'.
Almost half of Custer's troops were immigrants themselves
From seventeen different countries
And two marked down as 'unknown'.
You already know the basic story.
The Lakota won the battle
But lost the war and their sacred Black Hills.
General Custer became a legend,
The Indian culture was 'civilized,
And U.S. history moved on.
History is full of ironies.
Custer, a hero for the North side
Winning battles against slavery in the Civil War,
Won greater fame by dying in a war to enslave the Lakota.
What's the lesson we should learn from all this?
Each of us standing here today is an 'illegal immigrant'.
We need to remember.
A wedding ring and locket
Were the only things inside
Two pictures in the locket
Of a husband and his bride
Trembling hands replaced the gold
And re-tied all the strings
Everyone felt guilty
As they viewed these precious things
The second box held letters
Written by a soldiers hand
Post-marked 1995
From a distant desert land
Also there, another note
From U.S. government
Expressing deepest sorrow
And concern for her lament
Everyone now understood
How Marys life was frayed
Her only son was lost to war
And husband passed away
Two tiny little boxes
Were her only claim to life
The consumate devotion
Of a mother and a wife
When there was nothing left to have
That's when she came to stay
Enjoying every hour there
Until she passed away
So pray for Mary in your thoughts
And know she's not alone
She's bathed in precious glory
As she's finally made it home
Rockman
My BROTHERS --the Cherokee ---you may refer to me as cross-breed-- or not.
As an ancestor ----if it’s your aspiration?
My Grandmother----half Cherokee- half Blackfoot----as the old tales were told.
Citizenship with your sovereignty —till she was three—that I discovered-
with-in her descendants origin.
My Grandmother ---bought off your reservation after your----- relocation.
Bought by my Grandfather a “white-man” -------to the root!!
172 years belated —consider this --a cross-breeds apology--an accolade --to your entire-
nation.
A nation and PEOPLE-- forcibly removed in 1838-----by the U.S. Government.
Hundreds of Cherokee died----- Who Walked the Trail of Tears.
A NATION and PEOPLE-- vehemently abolished in 1838.
By the U.S. Government---with-in President Andrew Jackson’s administration.
Consider this a cross-breeds apology --with a symbol- ----eternally existing.
Of the anguish and affliction on the Trail Where They Cried--- the symbol of the Cherokee-
rose--that still grows------- that still grows!
Consider this a cross-breeds Tribute to Those Who Walked --that Trail --filled with-
Cherokee Tears.
No words can justify-- no expression can advocate --- what Jackson’s administration-
arranged.
No apology, no apology, would seem adequate or tolerable---to ONE human race.
Notably ----your NATIVE RACE!!
Innumerable thousands have spoken their inadequate and intolerable claims.
Knowing only one and only one-- honest, respectful, faithful, and trustworthy vindication-
would have sufficed.
Consider this-- cross-breeds desire for -----Forgiveness.
Forgiveness for any ancestral involvement---in the mass genocide of your civilization.
Healing our nation --from OUR CURSE—must embark from hear—hear at forgiveness.
Forgiveness extended by --OUR CREATOR---to our race and yours.
By : WEM/MEW/EWM
--------We're not Terrorists----------
------S.O.P.A. wash your own mouth out-----
----------not our Big Brother---------
*if you are not familiar with
"S.O.P.A."
and you are ONLINE...Read up...
The lovely U.S. Government plan
to police our every Internet move...
It is a SICKENING infringement of our rights!!!
"Get Up, Stand up, Stand Up for your rights!"~Bob Marley
Many years ago I read a book entitled “Accidental Empires"
Of how a few men, from garden sheds, became multi billionaires
How could this be, what did they do, did they invent something new
Not really but if I say Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Apple Mac or Microsoft to you
Microsoft is a huge corporation but Bill Gates openly admitted he was a fraudster and a thief
Because the underhand, double dealing, industrial espionage etc went beyond belief
Microsoft invented the computer or so lots, if not millions of people believe
Making Bill Gates just like the US government and its UFO are real promotion, another trick up the sleeve
As long as you think Microsoft is the god, its Bill Gates win and your loss, on reflection
UFO attention takes peoples minds away from secret weapon, Black Projection
Dirty double dealings from both corporate and state but hang fire, hold on, wait
You have a choice that costs nothing, downloadable, its called Linux, mate
Operating systems built by the people for the people, especially those oppressed
Third world countries, low budgeteers, the Microsoftic angry crowd and the rest
I spent good money on Windows XP, now the support updates have gone
Just another buy some more another Microsoft-con
Well thats no good to me, now I have to spend fortunes on Windows 8 or 7
Thank god for Linux, Debian, GNU, hundreds of free operating systems, heaven
Bit like Henry Ford saying he invented the autocar, piss in the wind, far fetched, another steal
It was bits and bobs,trial and error the stoneage had the wheel
Can’t ride to work on a wheel, need an engine, tyres my mates a chassis and components, maybe out of state plates
How many new operating systems will it take to make a man mega rich beyond your dreams
As many as Microsoft knock out by conning the public, or so to me it seems
Bob Dylan once says, you can fool some of the people most of the time, you can fool most of the people some of the time but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time
So get yourself some free software mine is Linux Lime
Please stand by for this important announcement
Of news you’ll most assuredly not want to miss
A newsworthy, earth-shaking pronouncement
More startling than your first unexpected kiss.
Your favorite television program is interrupted
Just when you’re about to watch Final Jeopardy,
You’d think the U.S. government was bankrupted
By the sound of the announcer’s anxious perfidy.
Instead, there’s a tennis player who’s deported
From Australia, his name you never heard before
Seems his lack of a vaccine he too openly sported
Forever, hereafter, he’ll never again be obscure.
All you wanted to know was who won Jeopardy
You had waited all day long for today’s show,
For you faithfully watch your program daily
To see the champion trivia winner’s earnings grow.
written January 18, 2022
During the Second World War
A decision was made
If brothers were to be lost
The last would be saved
The story below
Is the truth in a way
For the search of a soldier
Before he becomes, theatre pray
The US Government declared
A mission is in plan
Sending a squad of Rangers
To save this solitary man
Capt. John H Miller
With his handful of men
Their dedication to search
For the last of them
For his brothers were lost
In the theatre of war
At Omaha and Utah
In the Pacific, so far
Into Europe they head
From cities through towns
Looking for Ryan
Before he's gunned down
He is eventually found
With Paratroopers, holding onto a key bridge
As a Panzer group advances
Will this be their last ridge
Bullets zipped, pinging
Ricocheting
The flesh of the living
In screaming sing
Their mission was, to
Save Private Ryan
But Capt. John H Miller
With others, died trying
My entry into Frank Herrera's contest
" Describe your favorite performance by Actor or Actress in a movie "
http://www.thehighlanderspoems.com/poetry-soup-7.php
Tom Hanks is my favourite actor, and his role as Capt, John H Miller to me
was one of his best, his hunger to complete his mission showed in his acting.
The film was based on a true story, about Fritz Niland who lost two brothers
in Normandy, and a brother M.I.A. in Burma. He was later found alive.
But the military rule about sole surviving son's being allowed out of combat is true.
It was enacted after the five Sullivan brothers were killed in 1942 when the U.S.S.
Juneau was sunk in the Pacific. The rule of the surviving son is common to many
armies, the American, the Canadian, the British and the Israeli.
WAITING FOR THE WHALES
with the Yupik
On icy shores the Yupik women grab their down-wrapped kids--
Muscled men push-slide long boats from old white plastic skids.
Squinting grey horizons -- snow-fog blurs keenest sight--
Wondering which hunter fickle gods will take tonight.
Seal skin gear repels the wet while ice finds nervous hands,
Hunters --cheerful-- brave the cold that rules in Arctic lands.
Suddenly a burst of water spits above their heads--
Spears flash—too late—whale disappears--but not a soul is dead.
Note:
Yupik people are one of the Native American tribes
of Eskimos in Northern Alaska whose traditional life included whale, polar bear and seal hunting.
The U.S. government allows them to hunt one whale per season to fulfill their religious
and cultural tradition. This hunt was near Barrow, Alaska spring 2012.
Victoria Anderson-Throop ©
Jan 11 2013
in a room laced with gloom
his beats boom he dreams of wreckin' the mike
his momma's home she's alone
a sad song she struggles she fights
his lil' sis' is quite a miss
but them fives they do dis' they women so bad
but they alright except at night
for fives will fight you know a drive-bye’s to be had
in the ghetto he's a cello
if he's yellow he's bound to get played
his homies ain't no phonies
they drinkin' forties and lookin' to get paid
on the corner he's a gonna'
take lil' Jack Horner’s fo' they Christmas pie
sticks in his thumb pulls out a gun
ya' betta' run son he's one crazy lil' five
there's two sides to this lil' five
he's full of jive and has a heart of gold
if he jacks you fo' fifty don't give in too swiftly
he's kinda' shifty he'll want fifty more
his mom's on welfare nobody else will care
some fives they do stare at his lil' sis
on Sundays in church his soul he must search
at night he does dirt a childhood was missed
a baby born a bastard; things happen fasta'
the streets might cast ya' in the role of a wimp
a five from L.A. drivin' a six tre'
crime it do pay wants his name on the blimp
the U.S. government cannot prevent
this adolescent from goin' astray
not to mention juvenile detention
just another dimension of the American way
joined a street gang it's a ghetto thang
playin' the dope game he's a thug fo' life
original gangstas like this lil' pranksta'
he can't wait to shank ya' in the heat of the night
OG's got a mission some fives they dissed 'em
pranksta' can get 'em it's initiation day
the scene's a playground it's fin' to go down
babies they run 'round looks like a foray
closer and closer his heart grows colder
gettin' bolder and bolder his nine-millimeter jams
seventeen years old his body turns cold
his last episode hollow points rip his ass
a frontpage story didn't earn no glory
nature was predatory really dug his profile
he carried my name could not break the chain
he lived in vain he was my only child
If we pray for other countries to prosper, real neighbor ...
As Old Cultures and Histories model, imbibe, declare ...
There would be fewer dark nations seeking refuge in whiter
Would you even consider praying for Nicaragua, El Salvador,
Gautemala, Honduras, and Mexico to reach more of their poor
With JUSTICE, fair prices for what they own, sell, barter???
Even as Scott Simon exposes HOBBY LOBBY, Bible Museum builder
Paid a fine ($3m) & helping denude Iraq of its Own, "war souvenir"
Of our celebrated warriors of freedom, and yes, capitalists-investor
Yes, you have to think hard and forgive me, for this NEWS
You may hide while ululating Fox, Skunk, Weasel News (fake news?)
As we who escaped here for religious reasons, send kids to our prisons
The unexamined life is not worth living, said Socrates
Who died rather than parrot what Religion and Politician needed
To hear, to let him continue teaching (Questions): Deductive, Socratic ...
I have drunk poison too, and something died, something living
Yes, Iraq can teach us that Occupation is worse than dying
The Museum curators still hide Gold Treasures, 15 years & counting ....
FOOTNOTE: Please google "HOBBY LOBBY," funder of Liberty University, too.
I ought to have, much earlier, added this NOTE:
"Hobby Lobby" is a leading American Company that prides itself as "Christian." It bought stolen artefacts looted from Iraq since the 1990s, and paid a fine of $3 million to the US Government. They also have enjoyed that dubious honor of helping "build" the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. More love for Museums than for people alive today? You do the research & RE/consider ...
"You know, there is still such a thing as execution."
That's a direct quote from Donald Trump
our current puppet USA president,
responding to a question,
regarding whistleblower Edward Snowden,
wanted by our government for the crime of treason,
because former NSA employee Edward Snowden,
leaked not only to the "enemy,"
but also to the entire world's population,
top secret US government security information.
What were these secrets? What was this top secret information?
"Our Government Is Secretly Spying On Its Own Citizens,
Under The Guise Of Fighting Terrorism.
Every Text Message You Send,
Every Cell Phone Conversation,
Is Digitally Recorded And Archived By Our Government.
Spyware Is Now Being Installed In Our Household Appliances,
That Government Agencies Can Access At Their Convenience.
Camera And Microphones Installed In Most Flat Screen TVs,
Can Be Activated Remotely By Any Government Agency,
Allowing Them Access To Your Most Private Moments Very Easily."
Thomas Snowden is a hero in my opinion,
and not at all a traitor guilty of treason.
He had nothing to gain but a life of martyrdom,
always on the run, seeking asylum,
fearing for his life moment after moment,
all because he shared with everyone the truth of a horrible wrong,
the unconstitutional infringement upon the privacy of everyone,
at our government's discretion without the need for a warrant.
In my mind there is no question,
Donald Trump is just another puppet USA president,
blindly following the most powerful elite global bankers' instructions,
otherwise he would grant Edward Snowden protection and freedom,
instead of entertaining the thought of this very brave hero's execution.
This poem was inspired by the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas".
Moreover, it is rhymed, very different, and condensed.
Also, it is done from 12 days to 1 rather than 1 day to 12.
This year, I discovered that I had not completed this poem
and that days 12-7 were written in December of 2009(14yrs.ago!).
On May 23, 2023, I wrote days 6-2; and finally, I finished
the poem on December 15, 2023.
On the 12th day of Christmas,
No one gave me the time of DAY.
On the 11th day of Christmas, a poor
cat parked at my front door to STAY.
On the 10th day of Christmas,
I wish that it was the month of MAY.
On the 9th day of Christmas,
I wish there was a better WAY.
On the 8th day of Christmas,
I discovered that Christmas had
been turned into 'Usmas', and
I had little to say because
I was feeling cloudy and GRAY.
On the 7th day of Christmas,
the US Government bailed out
yet another failing company,
and I had no SAY.
On the 6th day of Christmas,
parking lots were filled with
lots of SHOPPERS.
On the 5th day of Christmas,
all seems more commercial,
less Christian anymore,
and no one ever BOTHERS.
On the 4th day of Christmas,
I had not bought a single GIFT.
On the third day of Christmas,
I saw an abandoned sparrow
and gave him a LIFT.
On the 2nd day of Christmas,
I bought my wife her favorite
bottle of perfume.
On the 1st day of Christmas,
Two beautiful Poinsettia plants are posted at the fireplace.
We have an artificial tree standing at our front window
filled with ornaments and lights, a reef at the front
door, and another reef on a side window adorned with
lots of red lights. Christmas lights hang across the
front bay windows. There's a banner in the living room
showing an angel blowing his horn, and another banner
on the front door declaring that Jesus Christ is The King
of Kings. Through the years, I do not recall our home being
more lighted and decorated than this Christmas 2023.
Jesus is The Light of The World. Merry Christmas!
121623PS
Go to war in Iraq. Deny everything
Just don’t look back
Solider I gave you a direct order to shoot that woman
The one in all black
She’s wearing a bomb
Concealed in her wrap
I don’t care if you can’t see it
The US government doesn’t pay you to think
Quick shoot her in the head
Before she teaches her son to hate and kill back.
There is a cycle it is undeniable
For close to eight years we have claimed democracy
yet we have lived under a rule of hypocrisy
there is also a fascination of denial
living steady in this country
secret organizations and special interests groups
uh ho here we go, you hear it and your eyes roll
another Conspiracy
but the occult and its rituals lives strong today
From how a president is inaugurated
Right down to the pen and the hand shake
It’s in the tarot deck and stands in front of the justice system
They hide it in plain sight so you wont think anything of it
With a blind fold on her eyes
You cant judge what you did not see
Holding a scale that can tip either way
From the roses to the arrows in the eagles claw
What must a person do to assist humanity
How do I guide the people away from fear
And into self realization without disturbing your true path
Knowledge is the key. The more you know
The more you experience
The more you can see past the lies of hipocracy
Black Hills Legacy
In the vaults of the U.S. government,
Sits a cache of money gathering interest.
But money cannot buy the hearts of a people
In exchange for land and legacy
For breaking the Laramie Treaty.
The ‘Black Hills’ have been raped
Of wealth beyond imagination,
A mere pittance of repayment
For stealing without consequence,
An insult to the Sioux Nation people.
‘Return the land to its rightful owners,
Compensate the victims for your crimes of plunder;
Respect their existence, their heritage, their plight.
Free your children of the shame you have inflicted,
Don’t let greed fester in your hearts any longer,
Now is the time, make the wrong right!’
***
Notes:
1) Laramie Treaty (1868): The ‘Laramie Treaty of 1868 established the “Great Sioux Reservation’ which included ownership of the Black Hills located in present day South Dakota.
2) Indian Appropriations Act of 1876: The ‘Indian Appropriations Act of 1876 was called “Sell or Starve” by the Sioux. The Act cut off rations for the Sioux until they ceased hostilities and relinquished the Black Hills to the United States.
3) Agreement of 1877:The ‘agreement of 1877’ allowed the U.S. government to officially (and forcefully) take away the Black Hills, and relocate the Sioux onto Indian reservations. The lands were then opened to settlement and mining without negotiating with the First Nations People.
There is no record of the transaction of the Sioux selling the land to the United States government.
4) United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians (1980): In 1980, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the Black Hills had been illegally taken, and that the Sioux should be compensated a sum of $105 million for the Black Hills plus an additional $44 million for the land outside the Black Hills.
The Sioux Nation refused the payment and demand that their lands be returned. They say the land is not for sale.
On May 1, 1865, Charleston, South Carolina,
Freed African Americans held a parade of 10,000
In honor of 257 dead Union soldiers,
whose remains they had reburied from a mass grave
in a Confederate prison camp
Although Blight (historian) claimed
"African Americans invented Memorial Day
in Charleston, South Carolina",
In 2012, he stated in the New York Times
He "has no evidence" that the event in Charleston
effectively led to General Logan’s call for the national holiday
In 1968, the U.S. government passed
the Uniform Monday Holiday Act,
1971 May 30 was a day touted
It all went into effect in 1971,
by then, there were no more Civil War veterans –
but millions of vets from later wars.
It took an act of congress to
grant federal employee's three-day weekends
The act also codified the name "Memorial Day" into law.
Note: In tribute to “The Ladies' Memorial Association”
And the African American’s who fought for the grand army of the Republic
Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com
POEM
United States of America we celebrate
“Decoration Day” it began in 1868,
This day is considered a very sad day
On the last Monday of May
Americans bring flowers and give thanks
To the dead soldiers of all ranks
Virginia, first Civil War soldier's grave
Southern women decorated, recorders would save
Were the first to invent Memorial Day
Written 5/29/22
Happy Memorial Day!