Abelardo De La Espriella (Columbia)

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: LATIN AMERICA

 

Abelardo De La Espriella

 

Columbia walks the tight rope

Now that they’ve made their choice

They are sliding down that slippery slope

Though they may think they will rejoice

 

A mega-prison landscape looms

Along with fracking and massive drilling

They are hoping their economy booms

Yet the outcome may be chilling

 

They follow the path of El Salvador

Though they claim it is not so

If it is their democracy is no more

The oppression will only grow

 

He holds the promise of prosperity

But his prisons will be full

As he pivots to a world of austerity

His promises will grow dull

 

We hope they’ll get another chance

In a free and fair election

As they recognize De La Espriella’s stance

They will make a wiser selection

 

We understand their discontent

But this is not the way

They would like an end to violence

But this path only leads astray

 

(De La Espriella elected President) 

 

 

The Exclusion Act

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: RACISM

 

The Exclusion Act

 

The MAGA movement is nothing new

Its racist roots trace back

To eighteen hundred and eighty-two

The Chinese Exclusion Act

 

The Chinese worked as virtual slaves

On the transcontinental railway

The work was hard, the workers brave

They worked for the right to stay

 

Twelve hundred workers gave their lives

That the railroad might succeed

That America might grow and thrive

The working force would bleed

 

From the Exclusion Act to slavery

In a long continuous line

Acts of defiance and bravery

Freed us from our binds

 

We are a nation of immigration

It is foolish to deny

We rise above our former station

It is the center of our pride

 

All those who wish to push away

The story of our rise

From our birth to this very day

We have overcome the lies

 

Sealing the Deal

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: IRAN WAR

 

Sealing the Deal

 

With Iran we’re signing a deal

To signal an end to the war

We will wait to see if it’s real

Is it done or will there be more?

 

They will open the Strait of Hormuz

We will end the naval blockade

Once signed will it be through?

Will Israeli hold finally fade?

 

And what will the small print say?

Will Iran give up its ambitions?

Will they forfeit control of the Strait?

Who then will make the decisions?

Of course we had a deal before

When Obama headed the team

Iran had abandoned its course

But Trump didn’t like how it seemed

 

So he ripped it apart at the seams

And called it a terrible deal

It was one of his favorite themes

It fostered the MAGA appeal

 

Now we’ll work toward the same end

That Obama achieved without war

On Iran the deal will depend

The Israelis will always want more

 

 

Courage

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: HUMAN RIGHTS

 

Courage

 

In a totalitarian society

Courage is speaking your mind

In a place where words are never free

All freedoms will unwind

 

Your thoughts are being monitored

Your opinions and your deeds

Every wayward glance and word

And every article you read

 

In the worlds of Xi and Vladimir

All elections are absurd

Opinions praise the leader dear

The opposition is not heard

 

The people will show bravery

At times of blatant outrage

When their country borders slavery

Their lives are on a stage

 

We stand for freedom everywhere

We fight for it each day

To be constrained we will not bear

We will always find a way

 

When courage is required

To speak our honest thoughts

When every word is wired

Our freedom it is not

 

But we will pledge devotion

To our basic human rights

Just set the wheels in motion

In time we’ll find the light

 

Smog in LA

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: GLOBAL WARMING

 

Smog in LA

 

We remember back in the day

Smog so thick you couldn’t breathe

A stifling layer of summer haze

From the great basin to the sea

 

California fought it back

It took years to clear the air

We led the nation on attack

We did far more than our share

 

Now we’ve lost what we had gained

The nation didn’t have our back

All our efforts were in vain

When the train fell off the tracks

 

Climate change is not a joke

The warming lingers into night

We’ve got to fix what we have broke

It’s a crushing fact of life

 

Does anybody really care

That what we’re leaving to our kids

Poisoned water, toxic air

We may have lost our final bid

 

 

Barrel of a Gun

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: IRAN WAR

 

Barrel of a Gun

 

If you want a peace that doesn’t last

That leaves both parties stunned

Ignore the lessons of the past

Point the barrel of a gun

 

Sign the Abraham Accords

That’s the best deal you will get

Sign it now before we’re bored

You’ll forever be in our debt

 

We have the power to destroy

Though neither side has really won

We stand ready to deploy

You’re at the barrel of a gun

 

If lasting peace is what you want

Do not come to the table

This is just a propaganda stunt

To show the world we’re able

 

We don’t care what the future holds

A quick deal and then we’re done

Sign it before our patience folds

You’re at the barrel of a gun

 

Ukraine Rises (Again)

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: UKRAINE

 

Ukraine Rises Again

 

Trump humiliated Zelensky

The brave leader of Ukraine

He took up arms with the Israelis

In a war he can't sustain

 

Who is laughing now?

Who is feeling shamed?

Europe made a vow

To rise behind Ukraine

 

The barrier that was Orban

Who once stood in the way

Voted out, now that he’s gone

Europe stands with Ukraine

 

The futile war with Iran

Still searches for an end

As it pushes on and on

Netanyahu will not bend

 

Our leader made a foolish bet

He put our money down

Now we’re saddled with his debt

Our hands are tied and bound

 

Ukraine is on the rise

While we are in decline

We grow tired of his lies

He has put us in a bind

 

The Shots

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: TRUMP

 

The Shots

 

I call the shots!

You think that you do

Netanyahu does not!

We know that’s not true

 

You think you’re the man

No one else pulls the strings

You’re the one in command

You can do anything

 

Netanyahu just smiles

And says you’re the best

And still all the while

He couldn’t care less

 

He will do as he pleases

And that’s war to the end

Until our aid ceases

He will call you his friend

 

He calls the shots

Like Cheney for Bush

This war will be fought

Until his last push

 

He’s played you the fool

He’ll play you again

It’s his golden rule

It’s mice against men

 

Smoke over St Petersburg

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: UKRAINE

 

Smoke over Saint Petersburg

 

The Russian people are tired of war

Though lately they haven’t said a word

They caught a glimpse of what’s in store

With the smoke over St Petersburg

 

Where there is smoke there is fire

The explosions can be heard

The defiance they’ve inspired

There is smoke over St Petersburg

 

The war goes on and on and on

In Kiev it’s an everyday thing

From dusk until the break of dawn

The drones and missiles sing

 

Yet they’re hanging on defiantly

They show no signs of quitting

They’ve shown their strength quietly

The Russians they’re outwitting

 

As Americans join the Putin crowd

It’s as ugly as it is absurd

Ukrainians stand bold and proud

There’s smoke over St Petersburg

 

They are enduring the assault

The endless missiles and attacks

We all know it’s Putin’s fault

Now Ukraine is fighting back

 

The People's Voice (Columbia)

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: LATIN AMERICA

 

The People’s Voice (Columbia)

 

Columbians will face a choice

It is not a simple left or right

The vote will speak the people’s voice

We must hope they see the light

 

Ivan Cepeda is the people’s man

He believes in social justice

With the government he’ll make a stand

They know exactly who he is

 

De La Espriella is the outsider

He claims no corporate sponsors

His appeal could not be wider

He is not your simple lawyer

 

Both believe in better healthcare

Schools and housing for the poor

Both claim their cause is true and fair

But De La Espriella favors war

 

A war on armed resistance groups

And prisons for the masses

Despite his vows of greater truth

He’ll forget the lower classes

 

 

Mexican Sovereignty

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: GLOBAL POLITICS

 

Mexican Sovereignty

 

Mexico is a sovereign state

We’ve no rightful jurisdiction there

They have no obligation to cooperate

With accusations so wildly unfair

 

We’ve indicted Mexican officials

On specious charges of collusion

We have fired a legal missile

A violation of civil institutions

 

We are not the hemispheric king

They do not answer to our rules

This is crude and open interfering

We are playing them for fools

 

But Sheinbaum will not bend the knee

To the man above the border

She will answer clear and pointedly

They have their own law and order

 

Our president should mind his own

He has enough to hold him down

He has found himself alone

With his feet on shaky ground

 

Cuba Waits

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: LATIN AMERICA

 

Cuba Waits

 

The threat hangs in the air

The example of Caracas

It could happen anywhere

When there is no mutual trust

 

Now they wait in great fear

The beast looms like a terror

It comes nearer and nearer

They can hear the beast roar

 

They are not the dark knight

They do not attack others

They do not seek a fight

They would like to be brothers

 

They are different from us

They’re a socialist nation

They all ride the same bus

They all use the same station

 

They are not a democracy

That is a great shame

They are in essence an autocracy

And for that there is blame

 

Yet they work for their own

For the progress of all

They do not walk alone

And they don’t need a wall

 

Another war of choice

In our own backyard

Would silence their voice

It would go down hard

 

Datong Mining Disaster

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: GLOBAL WARMING

 

Datong Mining Disaster

 

Ninety dead on the evening news

The number may be growing

Disasters come in threes and twos

Our vulnerability showing

 

Coal kills when you dig it out

It kills when you burn it down

No one should have any doubt

It should be left beneath the ground

 

Datong is just the latest

In a series of coal explosions

Not the worst and not the greatest

In a state of mass erosion

 

In this modern day and age

No human should go under

It’s not worth a decent wage

Why we still do it is a wonder

 

The day has come to let it go

The way of video rental stores

Let’s have no more of burning coal

Let’s close that rusted door

 

Let’s find our way to sunlight

And other renewable forms

That free us from our deadly plight

And moderate our giant storms

 

 

The Silence of America

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR:  UKRAINE

 

The Silence of America

 

As Russia launched a devastating attack

Into the beating heart of Ukraine

Zelensky pleaded with the world to strike back

To make their collective outrage plain

 

London, Berlin and the European Union

Condemned the blatant escalation

The free world stood in communion

All except one lonely nation

 

The silence of America was loud

Like a shot in the quiet of night

Vladimir Putin must have been proud

He has silenced America’s might

 

The world must revise its alliance

NATO and all free nations

In light of America’s silence

They can hardly expect salvation

 

They know that this can’t last forever

This aversion to freedom’s cause

The nation from its roots is severed

Not forever but just for a pause

 

America will be herself again

We can only wait and pray

Greater than we’ve ever been

A nation that will not stray