Culture
What Must Be Said
What must be saidWhy have I been silent, silent for so long?,Our generals have gamed it out,Confident the west will survive.We people have not even been considered.What is this right to “preventive war”?A war that could erase the Iranian people.Dominated by it’s neighbor, pulsing with righteousnessSmug in the fact that it is they, not Iran,Who have the Bomb.Why have I so far avoided to identify Israel by it’s name?,Israel and it’s ever increasing nuclear arsenal,Beyond reproach, Uncontrolled, uninspected.We all know these thingsYet we all remain silent, fearful of being labeled:anti-SemitichatefulworseConsidering Germany’s past these labels stickSo we call is “business”, “reparation” take your pick,As we deliver yet another submarine.As we provide to Israel the means to deliver annihilation.
Sones del Zócalo
Mexico City sones terremoto bluesA Mexican Johnny Depp look-a-likeis condemned to play Edward Scissorhands on a street-cornerAnother Mexican, with the square jaw of Michael Keatonin full Batman regaliaposes for photographs with tourists and other passerby's
London and Orwell
london and orwell london and orwellrevolution on the riseand beating retreatlondon and orwellintellectuals engagedand then in despairlondon and orwellfanon's question of our tasksfulfill or betray?berkeley ca 3-8-2012
IT
IT (originally published in Pemmican)The U.S. government should balance its budget ... just like the Coppolla family does,"Eddie the custodian says.The Republicans in the election seek to win popular supportfor destroying the gains of the New Dealby raising the banner of a "Contract With America." "There is no free lunch in industry...why should there be onein government,"says the Jamal the clerical.The real aim of their campaign against "Big Government"is to institute taxcutsand other government handoutsto big business and the rich.
prologue to an updated i have a dream speech
i have heard stories of another time places and circumstances i am told ofhundreds, even thousandsof blocked evictions and blocked auctionsof times when the first cry upon seeing thesheriff in the neighborhood or territory...."where are the reds?", those unemployedorganized and led by communists, many of them veterans of that first great war the latest to date and not the last to comeof veterans without food, clothing, sheltermany others with black skin and seeingwhite folks for the first time joining the clubtraditionally thought to be the territoryof "the colored" and rather than sayingin bitterness and sarcasm "welcome to theclub" simply joined in with the veteransoften led the veterans often were the redsto restore the furniture back into the apartment or farmhouse or ozzie-and-harriet and cleaverfamily homes and of auctioneers being offereda quarter "two bits" by one of the many farmerssurrounding him and the deputies.
