Very unsettling to see
truth and lies woven into the same strand
Hypnotized by strong need to believe
when obviously on shaky ground
Being right at all cost
closes eyes to see what went down
Feeling all is lost
Settling into the quicksand around
Truth and lies come in many forms
People believe what they want to hear
Everyone takes their stand
as truth and lies are woven into the same strand
***
Painting – Dwight L. Roth
Reflections on Grant Park 2004 – 2021 11/4/08
I saw America gathered on a cold November night
Black and white, yellow and red with all blends in sight
I saw America gathered together as one people on the lawn
Children of integration, people of hope, “silver spoons,” and ghetto moms
I saw America gathered with joy stretched and reaching
College Students, blue collar workers, business men, and teachers
I saw America gathered “One Nation Under God”
People of all faiths, people of no faith, all with hope for what the future holds
I saw America gathered a shining light to the world
Examples of hope, oneness, unity, and love, speaking with one voice
I saw America gathered watching History on a new track
Bringing down walls of race and fear that for too long held us back
I saw America gathered fulfilling ancestral dreams
Of Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King
I saw America gathered to let the whole world know
That differences can be transcended and peace can be attained.
I saw America gathered and it made me very proud
To be part of this great country where voices can be heard loud
I saw America gathered and I prayed, that God would give
Our new president wisdom. as on this difficult path we live
I saw America gathered together as he spoke
With humility and pride, confidence and strength, wrapped in words of hope
I saw America gathered, eager to open a new door
Not black or white, rich or poor, simply Americans
…and nothing more!
*Back in 2008 after the disastrous Bush years of the invasion of Iraq, I and many other Americans were drawn in by Obama’s message of Hope and Change. Although the “Hope and Change” did not turn out the way I had anticipated, watching the crowd who came out to see President elect Obama at Grant park in 2008, to me, was a very moving experience. Immediately following I was inspired to write this poem at midnight as I watched it play out live on TV.
Sadly the desire to work together was immediately crushed by partisan politics, both then and now. Division and polarization has brought great harm to the country. Many of the dreams expressed in Grant Park that election eve seem to have gone up in political smoke!
Now, as President Biden begins his term, many of these dreams are revisited. This poem is my naïve dream that we could all come together, as they did in Grant Park, to create the Hope and Change our country needed.
Posting this on d’Verse open link night. I read this today on our virtual poetry group this afternoon. It was so great to see and hear everyone who participated.
Join us at: https//dversepoets.com then click Mr. Linkey and read more poems.
Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities!
Voltaire ~
Most of us like to hear what we already believe is true! We gravitate toward that narrative and feed on our idea of truth. This was very evident in the atrocities at the Capital in Washington, DC; all done in the name of patriotism and based on absurdities and misinformation.
Sadly, the game of politics is often a game of misinformation. What starts out as a grain of truth gets twisted and spun into a cotton candy swirl of falsehoods. And we tend to cheer on the person or platform that says what we want to hear, even when sounds absurd and crazy.
PBS did a documentary on Alex Jones, far right radical talk show host who promoted things like the 9-11 attack was a government plot and the Sandy Hook massacre of children was all just a group of staged actors! You might think, how would anyone believe that; but, though he was banned from talk radio, he expanded his following on the internet and has millions who listen and believe what he says, as absurd as it may seem. Even Roger Stone and Donald Trump were on his show trying to get his followers to support Trump, which they did. Trump’s repetitive statements repeated over and over again are simply repeating what Jones said to his followers.
And it worked! Volatire words were played out in real time. as people who actually believed they were patriots, attempted to storm the capital to disrupt and take over the Senate proceedings that were being conducted at the time. What a sad day for America. What have we come to. Khrushchev was right when he said, “Communism doesn’t have to destroy America, it will be done from within by your own people.” Unless we get together and find common ground, this may well be our fate.
Twisted truth destroys
America’s foundation
Time for Trump to go
The following clip is a documentary from PBS . It disturbing in content, but very enlightening as to how all this could happen . It is well worth your time to view.
Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities!
Voltaire ~
I found the Voltaire quote on the blog website of my friend Ivor Stevens.
Furious, a Haiku ‹ Ivor.Plumber/Poet ‹ Reader — WordPress.com
When ideology supersedes the common good
the cause becomes a righteous one;
Rhetoric gets substituted for truth
and action replaces common sense.
*
Trying to guard our constitutional rights
while neglecting our social contract…
“that all men are created equal”…
is a failure of moral responsibility.
*
If we are to survive as a country
we must show one another
respect and dignity
in the face of disagreement.
*
Without cooperation and compromise
our dreams get squelched by violence
as we implode on ourselves…
knowing WE are right!
Painting: Dwight L. Roth
My poem today was inspired by thoughts from John Paul Lederach’s Saturday news letter , The Pause.
John Paul Lederach
Senior Fellow at Humanity United and Professor Emeritus at the University of Notre Dame University.
This past week I noticed that my daffodils were beginning to push up through the ground. I have never seen this in November. Sometimes they show through in February, but never in the Fall. Trees have now set their buds and wait through the long winter for a new Spring. As I think about all that has taken place this week, with the election and the projected change in our country’s leadership, I thought this might be a good poem to reflect upon.
At the base of each drying leaf
Is a bud full of life and potential
Waiting patiently for summer’s heat
Or winter’s cold to pass
In the cool of spring
The refreshing showers
The promise of warmth
Sap rises in the cambium
Pushes open that small bud
Enlarging into a new fresh leaf
Green and vigorous
Full of life
Remember…
Behind all that crushes you
Makes you feel devastated
Hopeless and distraught
Lies a bud of strength and potential
Waiting for you to recognize
That your spring has arrived
Once more
Photo: Dwight L. Roth
One of the most iconic songs of my lifetime is Bridge Over Troubled Water. It spoke to the turbulent times of the 1960s Civil Rights/Viet Nam War Era and it speaks to our situation today. As we wait for the final vote count in US Presidential election, we wonder what the reaction will be. The days ahead may be just as turbulent as the 60s, or we can choose to build bridges that bring the nation back together again. This song, I believe, speaks to the choice we make. Our future as a nation depends on it.
Angry words divide
Time to build bridges of peace
Winter’s discontent
This is a very interesting back story telling how the song came to be!
Videos fromYou Tube
Lillian’s Happiness Project prompt, today at d’Verse, reminded me of the song we sang as kids: “If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands…” “…stomp your feet” “…say AMEN!” It is amazing how may people get stressed out from things they have no control over. Tomorrow is election day in the US. If you watched all the ads on TV it is no wonder you are depressed and stressed. We can only control how we respond to life. What will you do to make tomorrow better, no matter who wins?
Don’t let tomorrow’s election steal your happiness
There is much more to life than a political agenda
Live life as you always have bringing joy to everyone
Help a neighbor… Call a friend… Smile
Let you happiness reflect the joy and love within you
**********
Photo: Dwight L. Roth
Join us at: https://dversepoets.com Then click on the Mr. Linkey box to read more poems.
I wrote this wild poem four years ago as a response to the upcoming election between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. The conversations then were not that unlike what is being said now, as many could not imagine that Trump could win the election. As we all know he did win and is now trying once more. Only time will tell. It is amazing how the muck of politics goes on and on and the alligators in the swamp keep getting fatter and fatter.
Riding through the dark night of the soul
Comes a headless horseman on a golden steed
Snorting fire and ashes he rides with great speed
No one can stop the galloping Spector
No Donkey nor Elephant, not Fox nor Hound
No one dare be so bold
As the ghastly night round him grows cold
He defies all those who would slow him down
Many have tried and been left on the ground
Some have screamed and some have yelled
But nothing can stop the apocalyptic wail
Out of the swamp through the fog of night
Rides the horseman of the apocalypse
leaving all in a fright
He comes charging the bridge in full moonlight
Not a myth not a tale nor a short lived wail
Will rise up to challenge with ghastly pale
The pending disaster that rides on his tail
In the morning sun he’ll surely be restricted
It was not true as many souls predicted
He’s here for now and he’ll be for a spell
This wild man with no head has tales to tell
The powers tried to slow him down
In that midnight hour as he rode into town
But the pumpkin wielding warrior
Simply brought scare and horror
To politicians far and wide
Bringing chaos and confusion now all is lost
He won’t stop till that last bridge is crossed
********
Painting: Dwight L. Roth
What do you think would happen if Trump and Biden washed each other’s feet?
Today is World Communion Sunday, remembering the suffering and death of Jesus. It is celebrated by many Christian churches. When I was young, our church celebrated communion twice a year. Along with the bread and the cup representing the body and blood of Christ, we also practiced foot washing. This also was a part of the original story where Jesus washed his disciples feet, and told them to do the same for each other.
In the time of sandaled feet walking dusty roads, it was common for a servant to wash the feet of guests who arrive. It was probably one of the lowliest jobs in the household. This was the humble act of service his followers needed to do for each other to remind them that in God’s eyes we are all the same. We are all humble servants of one another. This concept seems to be lost in today’s society.
I had this flash of a thought in relation of the upcoming election and the debates scheduled. Wouldn’t it be interesting if, instead of castigating each other, Trump and Biden would simply come on stage and with a basin and a towel and wash each other’s feet! And in this act of humble service say to the American public, whomever you choose, we will be the humble servant to the other! Wow my imagination really did run wild today!!
Let me wash your feet…
Humility and service
heal division’s wounds
To read the story click the link below:
Beware you serfs, sucked in
by superfluous words wrapped in thorns
pricked and pounded by talking heads
offering hot air opinions
floating away,
bursting in mid air
bottle rocket promises full of
spectacular show and nothing more
*
Beware of blunderbuss arrows
pulled from your quiver of bias
shot from tensioned bow pulled
back, bleeding hearts left crying
wounds that never heal, running
blood red, not black, white, or yellow
dreams stained streets crying for hope
futures down times drain,
never coming to fruition
*
Beware you serfs, feeding off crumbs
from the masters table thinking
caviar and filet minion
Promised “a chicken in every pot”
only to find bones and feathers
floating in cesspools of bigotry and hate
destroying the marrow of society
grinding bones of workers
into mortar for castles of gold
*
Beware you serfs when you watch
cherry picking favorite words and lines
feeling like twisted truth is genuine
offering you Wine … but serving Kool-aide
Painting: Dwight L. Roth
Today at d’Verse, Lisa asked us to consider the Vatic Voice, the voice of the prophet in our poetry, speaking as though from the voice of God! I decided to try something different for me with a prophetic political rant. Tonight is the first of the Presidential Debates. Never have we had such extreme differences in the candidates. It is easy to simply choose someone who thinks and talks like we do, but there is much more at stake. We are choosing a way of thinking for the future of the country. The two candidates are really irrelevant, in my opinion. We are voting for a philosophy.
Join us at: https://dverse poets.com Then click on the Mr. Linkey box to read poems written by other poets as well.
