Home » Poems » Best » Gideon Oknin » Best Gideon Oknin Poems

Best Poems Written by Gideon Oknin

Below are the all-time best Gideon Oknin poems as chosen by PoetrySoup members

Details | Gideon Oknin Poem

Betrayal

There's a false chord in the lullaby.
There's a dagger in the hand.
There's a stinger in the butterfly.
There's a scorpion in the sand.

There's harshness in the laugh.
A fist in velvet glove
A dead bird in your path
Contempt behind the love

Crushed eyeglass near your car
Banana peel on the floor
Bent nail gives you a jar.
Omens you can't ignore.

Some say you must be kept down.
They see no need to tell you why.
No tossed rope to those who drown.
No effort to tell truth from lie.

Some wish to force your view.
Some wish to mold your mind.
Back in the clamor, who rings true?
Who is wicked, who is kind?

There is no art as Shakespeare said
To know the mind from the face
In some hearts all good is dead
Extremes make up the human race.

Sure, they'll use every soaring phrase
But their hearts are full of hate
They'll follow any political craze
You'll see through them, but too late.

Details | Gideon Oknin Poem

Elegy to a promised land

In the quiet twilight, we gather here today,  
To honor my dad, remember him, and pray.  
From the promised land, he flew with no regret,  
To the fifties U.S., a different mindset.

In the old world, he wore many hats, even a soldier,  
Now a young man on a Greyhound bus, bound for Boulder.  
"Mariah," the bus played as they rolled along,  
He remembered Mount Moriah and mistook it in the song.

He told us the U.S. had been great, yet he was sad,  
Perhaps because we didn't know what we once had.  
He worked his way through the U of C,  
Studying the holistic subject of geography.

Dad became a professor; I watched the applause,  
At conferences, everyone knew who he was.  
A geographer who explored every field,  
Endless books in his study, a vast horizon revealed.

Our summers in New England and the West,  
The mile-square farm on Black Hill Road was the best.  
Swimming holes, blackberry bushes, mountain hikes,  
Exploring dirt roads on three-speed bikes.

But time went by, good came, but so did pain
People seemed so plastic, no anchor kept them sane
The sixties began the process, self-image changed,  
A once-great country now became deranged.

Geography was deemed passé, no longer in fashion,  
Radical winds swept through college halls, a destructive passion.  
A compass spinning wild, the intellectuals sinned,  
He wondered if Mariah still named the wind.

In older lands one friend had fought Nazis and Communists too
You wouldn’t think it to look at him, but it was true.
Dad joined with him and others to stem an intolerant tide,  
A battle of course doomed, but at least they tried.

While we're still standing here, memories endure,  
A young man's arrival, his heart remaining pure.  
He's gone now, but he didn't cave, he made his stand,  
In the old and then in a new Promised Land.

Zionists have been hunted in High School halls,  
Jews huddle in fright as mobs bang on the walls.  
What would he have felt, to see democracy’s shame?
Though I know he lost I’m proud he ran the race all the same.

Details | Gideon Oknin Poem

Bob Dylan's Hard Rain updated for 2024

Oh what did you see, my blue-eyed son?
And what did you see, my darling young one?

I saw truth tellers doxed, and their addresses listed
I saw images on my cellphone put on by the twisted
I saw a prophet wailing as he was dragged to the madhouse
I saw madmen gaining all the levers of power
I saw wolves out of jail while their victims cower
I saw fools arm in arm with those who would kill them
I saw indoctrination vultures above me turning
Know-it-alls told me what to think, but I wasn't learning
I saw a meteor of old glory barely burning

And it's a hard, it's a hard
It's a hard, it's a hard
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall

And what did you hear, my blue-eyed son?
And what did you hear, my darling young one?

I heard desperate fathers called domestic terrorists
I heard speech is violence and violence is speech
I heard the fury of a woman scorned
I heard a prediction of vengeance, a new weapon borned
I strained my ears in the eye of the hurricane

And it's a hard, it's a hard
It's a hard, it's a hard
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall

And what'll you do now, my blue-eyed son?
And what'll you do now, my darling young one?

I'll hike through the garden with high rising fountains 
I'll go off into the forest, and up the mountains
I'll swim cross the ocean, and glide on the river
I'll raft the white water, before the oncoming slaughter

And it's a hard, it's a hard
It's a hard, it's a hard
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall...

Details | Gideon Oknin Poem

Murdering the CEO

When the frustrated socialist sees that health care isn't free
He turns into a killer, claims he's saving you and me
He murders a CEO, to make a point, because he could
For the goal of perfection is the enemy of the good

He gets adulation from those who think healthcare is a right
They think profit is the devil, and he was fighting the good fight
But doctors must be paid, and nurses, drug makers too
When the government runs it all, will you kill when you can't sue?

Britain has national care, there the docs are underpaid
Patients don't get seen on time, whistleblowers are afraid
50 thousand wrong deaths each year, at least death is free
Anyone can murder, but that way lies anarchy.

Brian was a farm boy, then Valedictorian, then a CPA
Became an overpaid CEO, but isn't rising the American way?
He helped disabled kids compete, stayed a regular guy
But a rich Ivy League kid decided he must die.

When Covid came, Brian offered to distribute funds for free
Some see profit over people but doesn't seem that way to me.
It may be rad and cool to cheer, maybe they feel authentic and real
But some of us just see murder, and a wound that will fester, never heal.

There are problems with our health care, most of us agree
But if you think it's expensive now, just wait until its free
Systems that tried to replace profit, slaughtered millions, quite bizarre
I never understood how hypocritical radical leftists are.

If you come across the border, you get free care in the E.R.
Our hospitals go broke, because idealists went too far
Medicaid won't pay full costs, that causes bankruptcy too
And yes, our insurance system makes no sense, it needs a big redo.

No doctor can cure this revealed sickness in the air
Only 33 percent of youth say the killing was unfair
If you live by abstractions, you won't see wrong from right
A world that cheers on murder cannot claim the moral height.

Details | Gideon Oknin Poem

Rap: Rules of the Street

Internally unconventional, externally conform,
In the game of life, it's the norm.
Always watch yourself, like you're on a stage,
Avoid regrets, don't let your actions rage.

Bullies on the block, they don't care if you're nice,
Speak soft, carry a big stick, that's my advice
They don't care that you meant well, or how you feel
your weakness is the foe, your strength keeps it real.

[chorus]
you see the same rules on different scales
Where national policy spectacularly fails
you see in school and in the street
Details differ, same human flaws, they just repeat

Psychopaths and criminals, a mystery untold,
Their motives twisted, their stories cold.
Confronting bad men, assume the worst,
Act accordingly, before you're cursed.

Watch out for the idealist, promising revolution,
They'll manipulate your mind, cause confusion.
Destruction lurks in unseen directions,
Beware the traps, and their misdirections.

[chorus]
you see the same rules on different scales
Where national policy spectacularly fails
you see in school and in the street
Details differ, relax, take a seat, it's the same beat

No one's exempt from history's grip,
Great men's mistakes, we all might slip.
Bad organizations, breeding ground for sin,
Leaders rise, with darkness within

Beware the people with a disconnect
They preach one thing, but act incorrect
Activists on Indian land, claim they're green,
Leave trash all over, for natives to clean

Reading minds from faces, a futile endeavor,
Intentions hidden, like predicting the weather.
Don't make assumptions, from a two second look
It takes time for people to reveal the inner book.

Troubles compound, the more you go down
Gotta face the facts, can't get out of town
One trouble leads to more, it's a vicious path,
The worst it gets, the more they laugh

[chorus]
you see the same rules on different scales
Where national policy spectacularly fails
you see in school and in the street
Details differ, same human flaws, they just repeat

These rules of life, hard-earned and wise,
Navigate the world, with open eyes.
In the dance of existence, don't be naive,
Leave the matrix, take care what you believe.

Details | Gideon Oknin Poem

Trailer Park

After work at Google, I sat with the guys
I said we were elite, enlightened and wise
We had to censor those in this benighted nation
Who spread disruptive disinformation.

A Venture Cap named Hank said this isn't fair
He said trusting the little guy shows that you care
I said the little guy doesn't know his own need
Without supervision, he'll do anything for greed

I could drag a dollar through some trailer park
No telling what I'd find, like bait to a shark.
They'd sell me drugs or stolen car parts
The dysfunction there is off the charts.

Hank grew angry, so I said I'd bet all my stocks
I'd visit Modesto, a place of hard knocks
He'd fly a drone overhead, while I went in flashing cash
If I won, he'd pay oil, if he won, I'd lose my stash.

He took the bet, and the big day came
but he tipped off the park, he cheated the game
The drone took off streaming to a far camera crew
I put on my Armani suit, and Birkenstock shoe.

I passed a junkyard dog, who gave me a growl
I laughed, that Texan should throw in the towel
I passed a rusty car on a stone, but it gave me a start
There was a label on it, a famous Frenchman's high art.

On the grass was a bearded man reading a thick tome
I glanced at the title, "the fall of ancient Rome"
I ran into a woman, my heart skipped a beat
She said, "Come here, Honey-Chile, I'll offer a treat!"

I winked at the sky, where the drone must have been
Then she took me to her porch, pulled out a violin
Played Vivaldi's Four Seasons, it made my head spin
A roughneck joined in with a mischievous grin

I was getting nervous about my bet.
But the day was young, there was still hope yet
Saw two guys yelling, both covered with tattoos
I gave thumbs up to the drone, then heard their views

One said "they're not creative, take ChatGPT"
The other said "they learn rules, I'll prove on my PC!"
The conversation was leaving me in shock
All my stock options lost, I'd be forever in hock

I saw a sign on a building, "chop house": it said
This was more like it, hope wasn't dead
But I saw kids doing karate chops and flips
So civilized, not like the Bloods and the Crips.

I decided I would have to pick a fight
I found a one-eyed guy, said "you have privilege, you're white"
He patted me on the back, said "I'm Apache all through!"
"You settler colonialist, you watch too much of 'The View'."

The drone flew back, the footage could not be denied
I gave up being snide for Modesto Trailer pride
The Texan gave a grin, took my portfolio over
Gave some to the park, they're rolling in clover
As for me I have to rent but the prices are insane
That Bay Area elite should be taking the blame.

Details | Gideon Oknin Poem

Stand by your man

My Man Jim would come home drunk
One time I got into my car, found a body in the trunk.
But I remembered what I was told by Grandpa and Gran:
Never let details stop you standing by your man.

I followed him one night, I lost a friend's bet
He came out arm around a glamorous brunette
I confronted him later, I said "I'm your biggest fan
so I'll cry a river, but I'll stand by my man."

He liked to gamble, lost it all online
To make it up I had to work two jobs, not to mention overtime
My friends said "if you stay, you need a head exam"
But I never let details stop me standing by my Man.

One day in his sleep he confessed that in the fall
He planned to vote for Donald Trump, wanted that border wall
I exploded, shot Jim's dog, And Nellie, his beloved horse
Then threw out the family photos and filed for a divorce.

I went to the cemetery, said to Grandpa's stone
"I'm sorry, I tried, but that bird has flown"
Then two voices spoke as from a distant star
"We would forgive you, heck, we voted for FDR
But still, there's one thing we can't endorse
That's what you did to the dog, and Nellie the horse."

Thunder rolled and lightning flashed
The rain beat down, trees were smashed
The twister landed my car upside down with a thump
But what else could I have done; it was Donald TRUMP!

Details | Gideon Oknin Poem

EV shock therapy

I went to my car dealer, I hoped to save the planet
The saleslady told me EVs were cheap, and to call her Janet
She said we've got so many subsidies, and they're a great deal
I bought a F-150 Lightning truck, thought it was a steal
Janet waved as I drove off, then drank some champagne
Her staff slapped her on the back, did she call me a birdbrain?

But I loved the way it handled, how it would accelerate from a ramp
Zooming down that highway, I felt like a champ
And when it idled, there were no clouds of exhaust
I boasted to my friends about such clean tech for low cost

Then came Hurricane Michael, a storm out of hell
I couldn't stay in the flood plain, had to reach a motel
Drove the f-150, through torrential rain
Had to find a charger but there was jammed traffic in my lane
Finally found one in the parking lot of a Walmart store
Then the lights went out, no electricity any more

I was stranded in a hurricane, with a useless EV
flood waters rising, winds to an ultimate degree
Saw a roof fly away, then a tree tore
Made a dash for the Walmart, they let me in the door
The outer band passed us, with lightning and thunder
My EV was submerged, even the doors were under.

The sky glowed evilly, then a mailbox hit the truck
The battery exploded, what a cluster of bad luck
A cloud of carbon monoxide, and hydrogen chloride into the air
Hurricane Michael mixed with flame, was more than I could bear
Toxic gasses towering high, anything but green
I swallowed Walmart Whiskey watching that nightmarish scene

The rainwater reacted with the Lithium, and the hellscape got even worse
How did my f-150 Lightning suddenly become such a curse?
I started crying in the Walmart, people told me to be calm
While outside my pride and joy had become a toxic bomb

So now I live in upstate Ohio, and my new car guzzles gas
They tried to sell me another EV, but I politely took a pass
I did send an email, just to vent to dealer Janet
I said if I were the feds, anything renewable I would ban it
I should have stopped there but I sounded insane
I criticized her hairstyle, and her type of champagne
I kept going, and I let the venom flow,
I wrote she should sell swamps in the everglades, a low blow

I got a letter to cease and desist, so I had to refrain
But I'll never forget that hellscape, of fire and of rain
It was like a sci-fi movie, with cutting edge special effects
But with bad implications for our leader's intellects
You may want to save the planet, but the planet may not save you
Every storm cloud that passes reminds me of what I went through
Not to mention Walmart Whiskey, I've gone off that too
So my car will guzzle gas, and plants will guzzle CO2
There's got to be a better way, for now, the old must do.

Details | Gideon Oknin Poem

The Sword of Islam

In the deserts of Arabia, Medina had many Hebrews
And Khaybar Oasis was full of farms run by Jews.
To this day Muslims shout Khaybar, defeating Jews hits a chord
Because Mohammed took both places by the power of the sword

After his death Muslim armies took more
Palestine, Syria, Turkey, and that just opened the door
Then they took parts of Persia and Central Asia, these fearsome men
It's hard to believe Egypt and North Africa were Christian back then

Muslims on a roll took Morocco, Algeria and Spain
They did this for the sake of Allah, not for monetary gain
They conquered much of the subcontinent, was it genocide?
Hindus, Sikhs, and Buddhists claim that millions died.

Today, Jihadists wage war from Nigeria to Mozambique
Islam is on the rise, other religions seem quite weak
You don't hear your local church crying for African dead
Their priorities are more parochial, even progressive instead.

Islam also spreads in peaceful ways, I don't want to deceive
Traders have spread the message of the prophet whom they believe
But what strikes me is that Muslims whose ancestors may have been Christians or Jews
When polled today, express missionary views.

It interesting too to see Islam collide with Chinese rule
The Uighurs are being digested; the process very cruel
Nonetheless, Iran and Pakistan all want China's aid
At least for now they're willing to make that moral trade.

History is often made by the tip of the spear
A minority of extremists can maintain and spread the fear
The Koran does say there is no compulsion in belief
But in practice, that Arabian gazelle has teeth.

Even here in the West, if you draw a blasphemous cartoon
Never mind paper freedoms, your end is likely soon.

Details | Gideon Oknin Poem

Do not go gentle into the totalitarian night

Do not go gentle into that totalitarian night
They lured you in with the promise of a new day
Rage against their deception, and for freedom's light

From a stagnant pool, you jumped into a river of no return
They said the new would rise, the old could burn
Swim against their current, rage against their tide
Face the mistake you made of choosing the wrong side.

Good men, deceived, crying for a mirage bright
Efforts at social justice inverted their deeds to dark
Still time to review how it happened, but no time to win the fight.

Grave men but old who tried to give blind new sight
They blazed like meteors, but fell short and lost the day
From all directions enemies come, too late to defend what's right

And you my father, there in that sad height
You said death was better than seeing what would come
A cursed sunset, a bitter sinking sun.
Don't look outside, draw the shades, as the noose draws tight
We'll shed tears together before the dying of the light.