Saturday, May 18, 2024

Mass Deportations

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: GLOBAL POLITICS


Mass Deportation

 

Round em up and head em out

The dark-skinned ones

The undocumented

The ones without bankable skills

The ones without employment

The ones who lack insurance

The one who have no bank accounts

 

Round em up and head em out

By the hundreds and the thousands

On the streets and in the cities

In the alleys and the homeless camps

In the pubs and in the fields

Filling jobs that no one wants

At less than living wages

Under less than decent conditions

 

Round em up and head em out

When they’re no longer useful

When they’ve spent their last buck

When the boss can’t make the payroll

When they cost more than they’re worth

When politicians need a scapegoat

When there’s no one else to blame

 

It’s an old game

Use them and abuse them

Like cattle on the range

Until the crops have been gathered

And the harvest is all done

Round em up and head em out

Until next year … 

 

Thursday, May 16, 2024

Goosesteps in Red Square

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: GLOBAL POLITICS


Goosesteps in Red Square

 

Tanks rolled in the Kremlin today

Soldiers goosestepped in Red Square

On a freezing cold and snowy day

Mother Russia remembers Victory Day

 

The Russians fought against the Nazis

Millions starved and died

But they held strong against the tide

Their hearts rightfully filled with pride

 

But the war they fight against Ukraine

An invasion of their choosing

We can’t pretend it is the same

And this time they are losing

 

America stood behind them then

Now we stand against them

They have the weapons and the men

But the civilized world condemns them

 

You cannot take a land by force

Because you held it long ago

We must not allow aggressive wars

To enable a nation to grow

 

Wednesday, May 15, 2024

Trump on Trial

RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: AMERICAN DEMOCRACY


Trump on Trial

 

Mister Trump is on trial

For the very least of his crimes

Hush money for a porn star

Out of sight, out of mind

 

He defrauded the nation

He flat out lied to us all

But hush money for sex

Could be his downfall

 

What about insurrection?

I hear some of you say

What about Russia?

What about pay-to-play?

 

All of that may be true

But we push it all away

It is all about sex

How much did he pay?

 

Some day we may know

The full scope of his crimes

But that day must wait

It’s a very long line

 

Monday, May 13, 2024

Kurdistan (Forgotten Nation)

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: GLOBAL POLITICS


Kurdistan

 

They had to fight for their freedom

Every woman and every man

They had a dream of independence

In a land called Kurdistan

 

Denied statehood for many centuries

They continue to press their cause

By helping to defeat the Islamic State

They are bending international laws

 

They have earned their independence

That no one should deny

Their fierceness and their courage

Have enabled them to survive

 

It is time for the civilized world

To recognize the Kurdish state

Over centuries of resistance

It is their right and righteous fate

 

Sunday, May 12, 2024

The Pledge of Rage

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: AMERICAN DEMOCRACY


The Pledge of Rage

 

I pledge allegiance to the dawn

Of the united states of rage

Democracy will not last long

If we turn a tragic page

 

Once or twice in a lifetime

We face a critical choice

There is a mountain we must climb

To hear the quiet voice

 

A voice of reason carries strong

To those with open minds

A simple question: right or wrong

The truth is there to find

 

A voice of anger speaks to hate

Hate both of self and others

Stay the urge to tease your fate

Think of your dear mother

 

This world is not so horrible

We do not need destruction

It can be quite adorable

Let it flow without obstruction

Saturday, May 11, 2024

Shallow Victory

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: GAZA & UKRAINE


Shallow Victory

 

He believes that he will win

If only he stays the course

History will not record the

Horrors of these immoral wars

 

In the past there may be truth

The victor writes the story

But the old no longer holds

The oppressor gains no glory

 

We’ll remember what you did

As long as there are sorrow’s tears

The fiction lasts a moment

The truth endures the years

 

You are the villain of the tale

The enemy of global peace

Of all the leaders in this world

You are the ones admired least

 

If that to you is victory

Enjoy it while it lasts

An empty cup upon the shelf

Devoid of all class

 

In truth there is a place for you

Where all villains have a seat

The ones who proclaim victory

Who will go down in defeat

 

(for Putin and Netanyahu)

Thursday, May 09, 2024

Banning a Song (Hong Kong)

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: WORLD DEMOCRACY


Banning a Song

 

Your stranglehold on power

Is something less than strong

When you determine you must ban

A proud and simple song

 

The people fought for freedom

In Hong Kong’s angry streets

When China brought the hammer down

The world cried at their defeat

 

No one has shown more courage

Than the people of Hong Kong

Who rose up for their dignity

Their oppressor was dead wrong

 

Now China shows its weakness

By banning the people’s song

An insult to their legacy

All Glory to Hong Kong!

 

Wednesday, May 08, 2024

Democracy in Africa

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: WORLD DEMOCRACY


Democracy in Africa

 

For far too long in Africa

Democracy has been on the run

When corruption takes its toll

The ruling class is done

 

In Mali the people rise again

They grow tired of the madness

The military gave them promises

But delivered constant sadness

 

In Sudan the hatred deepens

The blood of holy war

They vote with their machetes

They kill to settle scores

 

Russia provides the weapons

China builds their dams

They need corrupt governments

Their elections are a sham

 

Still the time will surely come

When the people will demand

Their right to a fair democracy

The military be damned!

 

Monday, May 06, 2024

O Israel

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: ISRAEL AT WAR


O Israel

 

O Israel you break my heart

You rose up to oppose autonomy

Before this tragedy struck

You rose to demand democracy

A free press and independent judiciary

You rose up in opposition

To the enemies of lasting peace

 

O Israel it breaks my heart

That all your efforts are forgotten now

Subverted by the great revenge

The horrific blood vengeance campaign

Inflicted in your name

 

O Israel reclaim your nation

Regain your pride and standing

Let the world know this is not your nature

Let us see again your compassion

Let the good people of Israel rise to

Stop the endless bloodshed

 

Just as Hamas is not Gaza

Netanyahu is not Israel

Shalom

 

Sunday, May 05, 2024

The Artist

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: AMERICAN DEMOCRACY


The Artist

 

He’ll tell you what you want to hear

Then he’ll take a step too far

Take a breath and buy a beer

Take a ride in his new car

 

So you like the blues do ya?

BB King was his best friend

Don’t believe it? What’s it to ya?

He was in the room at BB’s end

 

So you like to shoot some pool?

Did I tell you about the time

I took Minnesota Fats to school

In some joints that’s a crime

 

Did you mention Marilyn Monroe?

I took her to a summer dance

She was gorgeous but a little slow

We had a short but sweet romance

 

I had a chance to be the man

One step away from being King

I had the money, I had the brand

And lemme tell ya, I could sing …

 

I’m not the man you think I am

I’m the one who got away

I took the reins of Uncle Sam

I’ll be back again some day

 

Saturday, May 04, 2024

Hidden Dragon

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: GLOBAL POLITICS


Hidden Dragon

 

Beneath the surface of Russian brutality

There lurks a hidden dragon

Beneath the smart bombs and guided missiles

Beneath the serial war crimes

Beneath the killing of women and children

Beneath the mounting rubble of destruction

Beneath the endless, mindless horror

There lies a Chinese beast

 

At the crossroads of international affairs

The Chinese faced a choice

To follow the road of economic prosperity

In partnership with the West or

Form an alliance with the Brute of the North

To follow the path of democratic reform or

Join the barbarian path of conquest

 

They have chosen the path of darkness

The path of gross environmental destruction

The path of waste and extortion

The path of violence and imperialism

 

They will find in Russia a treacherous ally

An alliance of temporary value

The Russians offer little economically

They have weapons, oil and little else

The Chinese depend on the West

They will suffer for their betrayal

The hidden dragon no longer hidden

Will turn on itself in self immolation

The Chinese economy will crumble

The rule of Chi will end

 

Thursday, May 02, 2024

Outside Agitators

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: AMERICAN DEMOCRACY


Outside Agitators

 

There are always rabblerousers

In every cause and every movement

There is always an element of chaos

Born of anger, rage, frustration

But when the words Outside Agitators

Are used by the authorities beware

What follows is an act of brutal violence

In the name of law and order

 

Outside Agitators was used to batter

The marchers for civil rights

On the Edmund Pettis Bridge

 

Outside Agitators was used to justify

The killing of student protestors at

Kent and Jackson State

 

Outside Agitators was employed in the

Tear gas and baton attacks on students

Of the free speech movement in Berkeley

 

So when you hear the words Outside

Agitators beware: We know what follows

 

Wednesday, May 01, 2024

Remember Kent State

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: AMERICAN HISTORY


Remember Kent State

 

Back in the year 1970

(most of you don’t remember)

The National Guard in the state of Ohio

Shot four students dead

They were not violent

They were not breaking the law

They were shot dead for being there

Shot dead for caring

Shot dead for the war machine

In Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam

 

We knew they hated us

We didn’t know they’d kill us

After Kent State we knew

We’d never forget the bloodstained path

The tears of innocence

The end of an era of hope

 

More than any other event of the decade

Kent State divided the nation

Kent State burned itself into our psyche

It spawned a generation of distrust

A distrust of government and authority

Passed down the years to today

 

If you love this nation

If you love its principles and ideals

If you want America to endure

Then remember Kent State

Remember Jackson State

Remember the age of protest

Remember the disenchantment

And make sure it never happens again