Offensively defensive posturing
No stopping in sight
No reflection in view
Poisonous to everyone around you
Syphoning greed at record speed
Unchecked unseen
Hollowing the land
Blindly defending your position
Against any raised hand
Any voice of reason
How did we even get here?
We’d have to go back
160 years or so
To explain what should have been buried
A hatred left to fester
A war lost but never truly ended
We rebel against suppression
Understandably so
Sometimes history demands it
An opportunity was missed
The undercurrent of hate
Bubbled up unchecked
A backlash exacted
160 years in the making
A theft imagined
A grievance never real
Where ignorance never left
A way of life
Thought to be put to rest
Was allowed to linger
Civilly unbalanced
Cutting down and
Cutting short lives
The symbolism
The sentiment
Front and center once again
Stirring old fears
Handed down like inheritance
Times change
Some things stay the same
Worse than the hate
Is the silent acceptance
Silence is a choice
One we can break
Antipas was one of many heirs of Herod the Great
Morally and civilly, he had fallen from his state.
His kingdom, a collapsed castle, he couldn't reinstate.
Sinning with brother's wife, shamelessness had become his fate.
Like raindrops on a bison, did John's censures sadden him?
Like venom, the wrath of Herodias filled her to brim.
The extant of Baptist, she thought, like a twig she should trim
Didn't she, as a queen, have the right to amuse her whim?
By the fame of Jesus as though life-threat, Herod baffled.
His human and animal instincts between them battled.
Curiousness and qualm, like flatware, within him rattled
Has John resurrected? Physique and Psyche fell fear-grappled
Does the sun fear the darkness? Jesus fulfilled his mission.
To build his realm of love, did he need Herod's permission?
Politeness,
like kindness,
may not sell newspapers
or win the partisan debate
Civility,
unlike deviliciousness,
will not win the civil war
nor leverage the biggest tax rebate
But integrity
is the world wide web of nature
that composed the paper
and incubates
the peace we celebrate
when impolite love to hate
of systemic trauma gates
recede well past faded
therapeutic empathy,
becoming civilly sedate
Singing
while dancing
in politely well-said company
not seen
or heard from
of late.
Privacy's a luxury of the past;
ubiquitous cell phones took it away;
it was far too fragile ever to last.
We record everything the neighbors say,
though we once spoke civilly face-to-face,
ubiquitous cell phones took that away.
The internet is a chaotic place
where likes are competing to be your friend,
though we once spoke civilly face-to-face.
People shun reality for pretend;
life morphs into fantasy on the net,
where trolls and bullies feel free to offend.
A.I. poses an even greater threat,
humanity's cloth begins to unweave;
life morphs into fantasy on the net.
In the internet world of make-believe,
privacy's a luxury of the past.
Humanity's cloth begins to unweave—
It was far too fragile ever to last.
You may any nearby mess
Some tomorrow access
Just to cleanly assess
Their customary dress …
Still it is an easy guess,
What they wear at officers’ mess:
More of a liberating mufti than less;
The Civilly Military for Easeful Recess …
A body cover to unfailingly bless
But fail to grant “A Dress”,
Because it does slowly impress
And wearer’s skeleton does stress …
But wisely they wear at the mess
What you wash and need not press.
~ An American Fantasy ~
After the BIG meeting, the donkeys went to meet the press
What? No microphones? Where were they? -- anyone's guess
The elephants followed and seemed confused
Perhaps the equipment blew a fuse
So they all went back, talked civilly for a while
Decided to give collaboration a trial
When they met again, they even compromised
No microphones, no problem ~ a welcome surprise
___________________________________________________
Note: In case politics does has not yet consumed you: Donkeys
are the mascot of the Democratic party in the USA. Elephants
are the mascot of the Republicans. (Pretty weird, eh?).
I am a true activist who will go so far as to be civilly disobedient,
but I absolutely draw the line and will never partake in out right violence.
the eyes and sights,
the little lips,
the face
wanna tell something
noiseless civilly
our boastful
verbose words
shut these all beautiful
make mute these all
and we the beastly inhuman
behave everywhere as unruly tyrant deaf
oh
for our impertinent dazzling happiness
liking this all in burning fire of sorrow
-Chattogram, BD
The Sun will shine brighter tomorrow when
We treat one another civilly again...
When kindness, courtesy and grace
~ Once more ennoble our race...
The Heavens will smile pleasingly when
Men and women guard their tongues and their pens...
When modesty trumps 'fashionable nudity'
~ And the latest style on the rack is humility.
L-ove, faith and trust
E-nhances our firmness;
O-ur vigor is intensified in spite of scorn, insult and dis.
A-t times they talk civilly,
B-ut rude for days and hours;
I-n eighth October morn
N-ew strength is truly
O-urs.
R-emaining strong and solid,
E-ven if we hear wayward patter;
Y-es, they can say anything,
E-ither sweet or
S-our.
In your absence I visited again!
That Last garden and in Winter again.
She was suave, he strong,
Though ‘ere civilly, nevertheless wrong:
Embracing, kissing, in the open ups,
As was, you know!
Wine, served in cups!
The sparrows make it on the twigs of willows,
Standing! Nor any bed neither pillows.
And standing uneasy behind the dead old tree,
Blew of the foggy mount frosty winds free!
Watched stealthily between the leafless boughs of trees,
By the cawing crows, beneath the broken hives of bees.
Sighed in eager, smiled a few,
Ah! I thought of you, Feared and Flew!
See someday! Without a sound,
In the calm midday of midsummer,
That hard by clump of woody willows.
Standing, lay your soft shoulder with one’s meek bark,
Under and amidst the bending branches
So clement and lingering.
Civilly! Eavesdrop the brown sparrows talking in soft shade;
Look at there, the animals, feeding in the pebbles-pasture;
Visit, the humble herders, their tall goats, their big-headed dog;
Hear, the roaring of that rocky creek, the din of that bouncing brook;
Smile at the low lying cloud, stare long those cedar- woods:
Of mine ear, of mine eye,
For me, for me, for me, O friend!
The Demise of a Doorman
Eric Ericson, ex wrestler, was staying at my boardinghouse.
He had a job as a doorman (bouncer) at a local nightspot,
but was fired for drinking on the job and could no longer
pay for his room. I told him, with heavy heart, that he had
to leave next day at noon. I went up to his room at eleven
asked if I could drive him somewhere? Say, the bus station.
Eric sat on a chair looking out of the window, it was a nice
spring day and the mild breeze made the curtains flap like
sails did on boats in the bay. He civilly thanked me, said he
wasn’t going far. At precisely twelve a cold shudder went
through the sleepy house and I froze not wanting to know
what the wobble could mean. Half past twelve I went up to
his room, Eric, the quiet man, hung from the end of a rope.
The curtains billowed it had been such a beautiful day.
Do the deed,
Just succeed,
Do it yourself,
In your own wealth,
I want to be better,
In lighter weather,
Airy was the day,
You took my pride away,
None left to find,
Just tapes to rewind,
Cultivate the mind,
Achieve, Succeed,
Please just breathe,
Life is easy,
When you’re breezy,
Feel the pain I’ve felt,
Through the years,
With lack of wealth,
Busted baby,
Well maybe,
Never top notch,
On your watch,
I’m always amazed,
By how you’re crazed,
I’m on the ground,
Never to be found,
Push harder,
Nearly murder,
I feel drained,
Deathly pained,
Improve my mood,
You’re just plain rude,
Wait for the day,
When I go away,
I’m sure you’ll smile,
At least for a while,
Putting up,
I’ll put you down,
Hear the sound?
Come around?
I’ll teach you truth,
I’ll show you youth,
Civilly, Liberally,
You see I’ll be,
What you never were.
He speaks civilly,
With deep concern for others.
He walks quietly,
As all the world does sleep.
It’s not for his gain,
That he performs his actions.
But smiles from others,
Are the many rewards he reaps.
He is humble,
Never seeking the spotlight.
Yet, he is strong,
On him you can depend.
He is sensitive
By always being caring.
He shows affection
By loving without end.
He may not fight,
For he knows to choose his battle.
He never condemns,
For judging is not his role.
He just supports
The goodness of the ages
He shows his heart
With him you’ll be consoled.
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