read these at serenity yesterday

HANDWRITING ON THE FLAG

once young & foolish
hand on heart
we pledged our troth
to liberty & justice for all

then dream soured,became a sham
& ashamed we watched
a man demand a woman stand so he could sit
guardsmen block schoolhouse door
lunch counter service denied

only tip of ice we learned
as monsters surfaced from the deep
to unleash nightmare fire & blood

it can't happen here we hoped wished prayed
already too late
not just here but round the world
hydra tightens grip

it ties together,don't think it don't
sum of parts,parts of whole
all gift wrapped ready to roll

yellow ribbons stained in red
corrupt a banner thus adorned
mailed fists dripping gore
destroy a dream once adored

awake you sleepers if you can
make ribbons armbands painted black
& mourn the death of dream

11/91


BETWEEN MESOPOTAMIA & A HARD PLACE

where did your heart go,america?

once you cared for folk in need
now you merely feed your greed

once you tried to defend the weak
now you burn to protect a sheik

you were a place of promise & vision
love & joy & hope

now i see only denial,suspicion
hatred,sorrow,fear

know why we feel afraid & alone?
poisons fill air & water
ground gives off deadly gases
roads & bridges crumble
a few with power line their pockets
many with no place to go lose their homes
children starve or get bombed
& you turn your back on it all

you had the spirit of pioneers
dared cross prairie & mighty river
fought the force of storm & drought
forged new life in wilderness

if only we could go back in time
see how future used to look
& do what we must do
to make it come out that way

but a metaphor's not what it seems
& time machines belong to dreams
& no physician alive can cure
the sickness unto death

2/91