dear man of power––
dear President Donald J. Trump––
forgive me for not
falling instantly
in love
with you
with your election
all i believe in
was burned to
ash
i see myself as
the one you shoot
in the middle of 5th
avenue to impress your
constituents & keep them
loyal
you were the 1st presidential
candidate of my lifetime
to run on anything that
smelled like a
hate ticket
in a fog of
dis-information
perhaps our country
will not be
lost––
perhaps our civilization
is not at
risk
how far
have we fallen?
back to emperors crowning
themselves?
courtiers tripping over their
elegant feet?
noblemen dropping to their
metal knees?
a growling alpha male
among the apes?
the people in the red
states were
weeping––
they had been weeping
for 20 years
they did not call their
congressmen
they did not call their
senators
they did not call their
governors
& their congressmen, senators
& governors did not notice them
weeping
& the all-night talk-show-hosts
didn’t mention them
nor did the facebook
crowd or the crooked
press
an aging, displaced
generation of workers
yearning to be great
again––
the withered leaves
at the end of the gossip
vine––
too bad the people didn’t
try to re-invent
themselves––
start new businesses
get educated
work harder
move on
they had so much
to bear
because of
trade policies, political
correctness &
immigrants
it takes too much courage
to change
you found these people
weeping & pledged to save
them
you proclaimed your
self caesar-the-messiah
& the people chanted
“yes you can!”
we are no longer
the people with gumption
who conquered a wilderness––
or a crowd of yankees spawning
inventions––
or the greatest generation
of the greatest war
no––we’re the internet
pawns bred to be
consumers
is it the fate of our
nation? or of our world?
or the intent of satan that
brought you to
power?
the force of life or
death is
in your hands––
your smallest mistake can
cost a million
lives––
or doom a thousand species
born long before the birth
of humankind
please read the sermon on the
mount to a live audience every
day––
try your best not
to practice
revenge––
read or recall what you said
yesterday before you
begin speaking or tweeting
away today
please forgive me
for i am also accountable
for what i
say
may God protect you
& fill you with
wisdom &
kindness––
& may all of us give
our lives to leave our
world more
beautiful & gentle than
we found it
as a gift
for every generation
forever
to come