Dissent in Hong Kong

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: WORLD DEMOCRACY

Dissent in Hong Kong

 

There is no joy on the streets of Hong Kong

There is no discourse at all

There are martyr’s tears for Helena Wong *

Among the chosen to take the fall

 

A conspiracy to commit subversion

A trumped-up charge if ever there was

They claim the right to imprison anyone

No matter what one says or does

 

They stood for the right to public protest

They stood for Hong Kong’s independence

They face a lifetime behind cold bars

They were hardly allowed a defense

 

Today in Hong Kong you have no rights

Except for the right to silence

If you want to speak or raise a sign

Beijing’s answer is always violence

 

* Found guilty of Draconian security law

   (along with thirteen others).

   

American Fascism

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

American Fascism

 

Trump is a fascist, plain and clear

There’s no way around it now

Terror is terror, fear is fear

A purple cow is still a cow

 

The man believes in one-man rule

As long as that man is him

He acts like a bully, talks like a fool

His light grows dimmer than dim

 

Yet his confidence is larger than life

His worst is better than all

If elected he will deliver strife

And the republic will surely fall

 

I’m not a fascist, you’re the one!

He will tell you at every chance

But mark my words before he’s done

Fascism is on the advance

 

It’s not too late to turn it around

But our prospects are looking slim

If in three months the market is down

The people may turn to him

 

Human Tragedies

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: GLOBAL WARMING

Human Tragedies

 

The wasteland from Texas to Missouri

mirrors the destruction from Gaza to Ukraine.

 

One is born of a human failure to learn and

understand how separate and distinct peoples

can live together in peace.

 

The other is born of a human failure to

understand and learn how our behavior

bears tragic consequences.

 

Until we learn how to accept our differences

without wanting to destroy each other we will

continue to foment wars of growing mass

destruction.

 

Until we learn that pumping toxic waste

into our atmosphere distorts and corrupts

the natural processes of climate and extreme

weather we will continue to suffer ever greater

climate catastrophes. 

 

Differences in beliefs, religions, cultures, and

philosophies are natural and appropriate; the desire

to annihilate others and take their lands based on

those differences is unnatural, morbid and devoid

of basic humanity. 

 

Tornadoes, hurricanes and tidal waves are

natural if unfortunate; monster storms and

a chain of twisters five hundred miles long

are unnatural and a testament to human greed

and obstinacy.

 

If we are to choose humanity and nature over

greed and avarice, we must alter our behaviors

and beliefs to create a better world for all the

earth’s inhabitants.

Memorial

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: LIFE SONGS

Memorial

 

We remember the soldiers

who gave their lives

for a cause that’s never certain

 

Some wars are righteous and necessary

Other wars are fought for greed

Even the good wars cannot be good

on both sides of the line

 

We remember all the soldiers

for their bravery and honor though

some were neither brave nor honorable

 

The loss is as severe for all

the soldiers and civilians caught

in the crossfire of war

 

We remember them and honor them

for they could well be us

We too would want to be remembered

We too would want to be honored

 

So we give them a day and remember them

We give them a day and pray their

lives were not given in vain

 

For all lives are precious

All lives should be remembered

All should be honored

 

We remember the dead for the living

We remember the living for the dead

Sheep

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: WORLD DEMOCRACY

Sheep

 

A candidate in Germany steps down

After expressing sympathy for the SS –

The elite Nazi enforcement unit

 

An American candidate for president

Takes down a campaign video

Expressing admiration for The Reich

As if he didn’t understand the reference

 

The Proud Boys are the SS without

The power of the state

 

The European right is marching goosestep

With Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping

Accepting laundered money and propaganda

 

The NRA is a front for Russian money

 

One World News is a front for Russia

 

The propaganda war has begun and our side –

The side of freedom and democracy – for

there can be no freedom without democracy –

Has fallen asleep

 

Those who follow their fearless leader

Like sheep who have lost their way

Will awaken tomorrow in a nightmare

 

They too will be left behind

They will be discarded with the rest of us

For they will have lost their purpose

They placed the strongman in power

And now they are of no more use

We are vermin and they are sheep