Another Day

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: LIFE SONGS

Another Day

 

Birds are singing in Beirut

In tribute to another day

Cicada in New Orleans

Bid welcome to the evening

Wolves howl in Wyoming

A prayer of yearning to the moon

Everywhere the morning sings

The evening sings refrain

Life in all its wonders awakens

Through the night and day

Even on the battlefield (Ukraine)

Even on the killing field (Sudan)

Even in a land of terror (Ethiopia)

Even in a lawless state (Columbia)

Nature rises to a bright new day

Singing harmonies of hope and faith

That this day will bring peace

That this day will awaken the spirit

Of brotherhood and generosity

That this day will end the war

That this day will silence the rage

That this day will give us the wisdom

To know that we are one

One people, one family, one planet

One miracle each day

 

The Pledge (America)

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

The Pledge (Equality for All)

 

America!

Never have you woven such a tale

A man so brazen and so craven

All tests of credibility would fail

 

America!

We have chosen crooked men before

The epically immoral and amoral

But never one so twisted to the core

 

America!

You will survive this horrible attack

There always has and will be traitors

But the people rise to fight it back

 

America!

Your history is one of moral compromise

Genocide and slavery and liberty denied

In time you’ve learned to be more wise

 

America!

Bow your head in mortal shame

We should have known he was a snake

Take a vow to never say his name

 

America!

We stand as one and fight for you

You are the greatest hope of humankind

We pray your cause is just and true

 

America!

We work so that your honor will not fall

For everyone who pledges to your flag

For liberty justice and equality for all

 

Thirty-Seven Counts

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

Thirty-seven Counts

 

Thirty-seven counts of federal crime

Not a single one is treason

Many counts of misconduct

Many more of malfeasance

 

When will he be brought to bear

For inciting a mob to violence

For organizing a coup d’état

The highest of all offense

 

He made a fool of government

He used us to make money

Some laughed at his buffoonery

But it was never really funny

 

Now he must go to trial

To stand before judge and jury

If they want to convict him

They’d better do it in a hurry

 

Thirty-seven counts of negligence

Thirty-seven counts of losing

Counts of hiding evidence

Does he still find it so amusing?

 

Democracy Endures

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

Democracy Endures

 

“Democracy, while weapons were aimed

at your breast, I saw you give birth to

immortal children…, saw you with spreading

mantle covering the world.”

 

Walt Whitman, By Blue Ontario’s Shore

 

 

Democracy is much maligned (and wrongly so)

by would be tyrants who wish to bend the

world to their desires

 

Democracy endures

and she will always endure

for she is stronger than any tyrant’s will

She is greater than any brute force

She is fairer and far more appealing

than any false promise of prosperity

 

The beast will always wear the mask

of serene and gentle kindness

He will call you to his side

He will feed your barren pride

He will soothe and comfort you

He will promise you the sun the moon

and the myriad stars

But he will always throw you under

He will always betray you

He will always steal your last dollar

to further his own interests

He will offer your soul in place of his own

He will demand of you your sacrifice

before the altar of his throne

 

Democracy is the first last and only

defense against the triumvirate of tyranny:

the autocrat, the dictator and the king

She calls to you in times of trouble

and you the people must always rally

to her call