Shame of the Nation

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

Shame of the Nation

 

To the shame of this great nation

And the electoral college scheme

We elected a golden-haired buffoon

With the power to end the dream

 

We now stand on the very threshold

Of a brutal authoritarian regime

All because we were confused

Between the party and the team

 

And so we voted for an ego

Who thought he was a mighty king

To the cause of his almightiness

Without pause he would do anything

 

Yes we voted for a senseless monster

And we might vote for him again

Just to witness his unhinged revenge

In the event that he should win

 

Say goodbye to our democracy

Say farewell to all our laws

As everything must now conform

To his divine and vicious cause

 

Inferno in Paradise

RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: CLIMATE CHANGE

 

Inferno in Paradise

 

The forests of Oahu are lush and green

The rainforest at Paradiso’s core

An event our eyes have never seen

Flames where they have never been before

 

As the earth begins a radical change

From its ceiling to its floor

We see things that are new and strange

We can foresee what is in store

 

The oceans rise to take the land

Great cities are no more

Get out now while you still can

The whole planet is at war

 

It is time for us to take a stand

This time it’s not a metaphor

Everyone must lend a hand

Young and old, rich and poor

 

We’re all in this together now

For better or for worse

We don’t know why or where or how

To fight this global warming curse

Diwali

RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: LIFE SONGS

 

Diwali

 

At the very moment of dusk

When the sun gives way to night

They lit two million earthen lamps

To commemorate the victory of light

 

All along the sacred river

The lamps lit up the night

Give praise to the Hindu god of Ram

Give praise to the triumph of light

 

At night they pray to the goddess Lakshmi

To bring good fortune and wealth

All India comes out to celebrate

Another year of balance and health

 

May the spirit of Diwali bless us

In the year of our great need

For now we pay back our debts

For all the years of careless greed

 

The World Goes On

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: LIFE SONGS

The World Goes On

 

I am the center of my existence

I live within my sphere

I have no war to contend with

I do not live in constant fear

I have no mortal enemies

I am not cursed with poverty

I do not suffer from disease

I have my own little problems

But I can handle them with ease

I have a sense of right from wrong

I understand the world goes on

 

The war is burning in Israel

The war continues in Ukraine

Global warming is wreaking havoc

From the Philippines to Maine

The cost of living seems impossible

Sometimes it all seems so inane

Synthetic drugs are killing us

Poison air and toxic rain

We all have our share of trouble

Many live in chronic pain

Some have said it all along

But the world carries on

 

Somewhere someone is hungry

Someone is on the run

Somewhere someone is wishing

All the misery was done

Someone has lost his mind

He’ll be purchasing a gun

There is no sense of justice

We will mourn for everyone

But in our hearts we know too well

From scarlet dusk to dawn

The world still goes on

 

Living with Fear

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: WAR

Living with Fear

 

We are but humans

We cannot live in constant fear

We adapt to our conditions

If danger is always everywhere

We alter our perception

We take it from the foreground

And push it to the back

If bombs fill the sky without relief

We keep our heads to the ground

We refuse to hear the sounds

Of bombs exploding, children crying

Whole buildings coming down

 

If suffering is a constant state

We change it to awareness

We are always on alert

We look for safe havens

We search the wastelands for relief

We find food and water

We find refuge from the storm

We live the lives we’re given

As fear becomes the norm

 

We no longer are afraid

And in moments of quietude

As rare and numbered as they may be

We pray that tomorrow it will end

We pray the bombs will not fall

We pray that suffering will mend

Until then we will survive

Until then we’ll stay alive