Ortega the Oppressor

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: GLOBAL POLITICS

Ortega the Oppressor

 

What began as a Bolivarian revolution

Founded in democracy and human rights

Under the fearless leadership of

Daniel Ortega the Liberator

Now stands as a ruthless dictatorship

Founded in autocracy and brutality

Under the fearless leadership of

Daniel Ortega the Oppressor

 

What explains the transformation of a

People’s champion to the people’s foe?

When did his conviction turn to rust?

Why did his discard his love of the working

class to embrace corporate greed?

Can there be any other explanation but that

he never truly held convictions?

He was an opportunist from the start

 

Now he opposes and oppresses all

The pillars of democracy:

The right to free expression

The right to public protest

The right to fair elections

The right to a free press

 

The once proud nation of Nicaragua

Now stands as a disgrace

Its people flee their homeland

Their families and friends

Their livelihoods and dreams

For a long road of hardship ahead

Those who stay behind live

In constant fear

 

The Left Left Me

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

The Left Left Me

 

The left has been my sanctuary

A place where I belonged

A place that always welcomed me

Together we stood strong

Along came Trump and Putin

A force as evil as can be

Some say I left the left

I say the left left me

 

Putin funnels his dirty money

Into parties left and right

He offers you a spot of cash

He owns you if you bite

The left was once his adversary

Now they’re adversaries light

They’ll say it’s for the greater good

But we know that it’s not right

 

So now they do his bidding

On the invasion of Ukraine

They’ll pin the blame on NATO

Though they know that it’s insane

They pretend it’s not aggression

It’s the propaganda game

It’s a push for a new empire

By any other name

It’s a fight against democracy

They ought to be ashamed

It’s as plain as it could be

Some say I left the left

I say the left left me

 

Twenty Years Ago Today

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: IRAQ WAR

Twenty Years Ago Today (3/20/23)

 

Twenty years ago today

The world awoke to shock and awe

And Iraq became a battleground

A killing field

A testing site for war machines

 

Twenty years ago today

The lies of war were bold and clear

Some believe them to this day

They became a litmus test of loyalty

A patriots holy grail

The weapons of mass destruction

The enemies at the gate

Complicity in terror

Not a moment could we wait

 

They lied to the world

They lied to the New York Times

They lied at the United Nations

They lied to the American people

 

They invaded a sovereign nation

For power and for greed

To demonstrate our awesome might

To warn our strongest adversaries

Beware of what you see

 

Blood on the streets of Baghdad

Blood on the desert sands

The blood of the innocent

Destruction across the land

 

No expression of contrition

No amount of tears

No measure of reparations

Can erase the guilt of that offense

Our president was a war criminal

Our government was the Kremlin

Invading Ukraine today

 

The Downfall of Macron

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: GLOBAL POLITICS

The Downfall of Macron

 

Trash piles high on the streets of Paris

Fires rage in Place de la Concorde

The people march down Champs-Elysees

They gather in city squares

Marseille, Bordeaux, Nantes, Lyon

Chanting Down with Macron!

 

We loved him at the Accords

We loved him as he stood against

The brutality of Putin

We loved him as he tried (in vain)

To reason with the Donald

We loved him as he stood with Europe

With honor and with dignity

We love him still for what he’s done

But you cannot turn on your people

You cannot bypass the people’s vote

On a matter so essential as the pension

And not expect explosions on the streets

Even if it is within the law

Even though you think it wise

In a republic the people must decide

 

As you hear the people’s roar

Remember who and what you are

You are the leader of the Fifth Republic

Dissent is a sacred right

That you cannot suppress and survive

 

Hoka Hey!

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: LIFE SONGS

Hoka Hey

 

“Hoka hey!  It is a good day to die!”

 

The Battle Cry of Sitting Bull

 

 

Each day as I greet the morning light

I ask myself: Have I done all I could?

All that I must do to fulfill this life?

Have I helped my fellow travelers?

Have I walked on soft soles?

Have I created more than I consumed?

Have I fulfilled my vision?

Have I honored my calling?

Have I been honest with those I love?

Have I been true to myself?

 

If I have done all these things

If I have been what I was meant to be

Then yes I am ready

And yes it is a good day to die

Hoka Hey!