One Race, One People

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: GLOBAL POLITICS

One Race, One People

 

We are Americans

WE ARE HUMAN BEINGS

We stand with our own

WE STAND WITH HUMANITY

We are the best and the brightest

WE ARE THE BEST AND THE WORST

The most innovative and creative

THE BRIGHTEST AND THE DULLEST

We lead the world in all endeavors

WE JOIN THE WORLD IN REACHING

FOR THE FARTHEST STARS

We take pride in who we are

WE TAKE PRIDE IN WHO WE ARE

and where we are from

AND WHERE WE ARE FROM

We are the chosen of God

WE ARE THE CHOSEN OF MANY GODS

We are the ones who must choose

WE CHOOSE AND WE ARE CHOSEN

the path of righteousness

THE PATH CHOOSES US

We will rise above

WE WILL PREVAIL

Despite the world’s discord

WITH THE WORLD’S CONSENSUS

We are Americans

WE ARE CITIZENS OF THE WORLD

One people, one nation

ONE PEOPLE, ONE RACE

 

Compassion

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: LIFE SONGS

Compassion

 

Let us be judged by our compassion

For the most needful among us

The ones who are out of fashion

Scattered like windblown dust

 

For the homeless and oppressed

For the hopeless and depressed

For the discarded and distressed

For the destitute and depraved

For the hungry and enslaved

For the desperate and enraged

 

If we cannot end homelessness

If we cannot stop abuse

If we cannot cure depression

If we have no more to lose

If we cannot eliminate hunger

If we cannot eradicate rage

Let’s at least possess compassion

As we christen a compassionate age

 

Dance with the Devil

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: GLOBAL POLITICS (UKRAINE)

Dance with the Devil

 

Once upon a twisted tale

We signed the Missouri Compromise

An agreement destined to fail

Neither virtuous nor wise

 

Now the free world is asked to agree

Which nations shall be enslaved

Which are empowered to be free

While we descend in virtue’s grave

 

It’s a dance with the devil

Down a twisted path

It may soothe for a while

But it will not last

 

We should not have condoned slavery then

We should not consent to enslavement now

Look back with wisdom remember when

A dance with the devil was once endowed

 

It’s a dance with the devil

Down a twisted path

It may soothe for a while

But it will not last

 

The Invasion

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: GLOBAL POLITICS

The Invasion

 

Maybe it began with Crimea

Maybe it was Georgia or Belarus

Whenever it began it begins again

With a strike at the heart of Ukraine

Putin is raising the stakes

He has chosen this time and place

To inflict a great deal of pain

On the proud people of Ukraine

He is challenging international order

Threatening the unity of Europe

Declaring war at a time of pandemic

 

It is time to declare Putin

An international crime boss

A godfather head of state

A pariah among civilized nations

A terrorist of the highest order

A brute a thug a war criminal

 

The price of this invasion

Must be as severe at the violation

Not in blood or loss of life

(though both will be extreme)

For the dictator values neither

But in wealth and prestige

The lifeblood of his immense ego

 

Mundane

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: LIFE SONGS

Mundane

 

The everyday things of life

The things we take for granted

A light breeze on a sunny day

A leisurely walk in a garden park

The geese are still here

Seems they never went south

The climate is too moderate

Flowers bloom year round

 

The things that must be done

To keep the machines running

Grocery shopping at the local market

Replacing the worn-out clothes

Keep the body moving

Take time to feed the soul

 

The things we do every day

The things we do every week

The things that occupy our minds

The things that demand doing

To maintain our daily existence

The normal and mundane

Gradually like saving grace

Become our life stories

Define our rightful place

In this wondrous world