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Tag: poem
Grief
I was born with a dark twin
Similarly unwanted, but relied on.
They were a small, black mutt
With wiry black fur, oversized ears,
And large dark eyes.
Born together and bonded together.
This being became my trusted companion
Shield me, drove me, broke me
I ignored it
I hated it
I dismissed it.
But it was always there
Patiently following me wherever I went.
Growing in size and power
Until I could no longer ignore it.
Until I heard its loud breathing
And disgruntled growls and roars.
Until I heard the heavy thuds
Of its paws
as it trailed behind me.
Until I felt its wiry fur as it slept beside me.
As I saw its dark form
At the foot of my bed,
In the corner of my office,
Sleeping at my feet while I wrote,
Cuddling next to me on the couch,
Eating my scraps as I cooked.
Patient, protective, heartbroken.
I sit cross legged on my bed
The beast sitting on all fours in front of me.
Our eyes locked
Our breathes uneven,
And I tentatively reach out
And stroke its dark fur
And it rests its big cheeks
In the palm of my hand
And I cry as the beast unfurls
And lies down, resting its head in my lap
And I stroke its fur.
Scream
Can’t you see the world is dying
Can’t you see?
Don’t you care?
The whole world is on fire
People are dying
Millions of people are dying all over the world
Every day
And no one cares
No one cares
We drown out the screams with white noise
We’ve grown used to the stench of blood and rotting flesh
We no longer see the trails of blood
We do not notice our hands stained with blood
Our clothes stained with blood
We do not notice we feast on the bloated remains of the starved
We do not notice that the mortar that holds up our homes and institutions.
Is made from the bones of those we left to die in the streets
Of those we killed in camps,
in prisons,
in plantations,
In sweatshops,
In warehouses,
In alleys
Through maliciousness
Through enjoyment
Through neglect
All I want to do is scream
Scream through the madness of it all
Scream and scream
Until my throat is bloody and raw
Until the world stops and listens
Until this terrifying loss of faith
And hope for the future
Consumes me
And I no longer know fear
Or self-preservation
Only the fiery rage that will burn this all down
Let this world end
Let us burn it to the ground
And trust others to rebuild
A stronger, loving world
But first we must burn these decrepit things
Blow away the bleached white rib cages of ancient monstrosities
That refuse to let go of their wealth
And their power
Let us flip the continent over, into the sea
Wash away all this horror
And when it returns to the surface
May the sun shine
On a new land
A new people
A new future
Where death isn’t compartmentalized
Where responsibilities to each other are not abnegated
Where we no longer need to
Feast on rot and decay
Where our footsteps do not leave a trial of blood
And our bones are not carved
With the name of all we’ve killed
Let it end
Let it all end
So others may live
The Ubermensch Café
This is a really old piece that I wrote during my Caberet obsession.
Ah, welcome, welcome, my, we have a large crowd today.
I am your MC and Host
Owner and keeper of Ubermensch Café
Where our men drip with testosterone
and our women are better trained than well bred dogs
No one can play a marching beat like our orchestra
And when the girls come out in their army boots
It’s like being in Nuremberg all over again
One could simply die!
First, we must thank our patrons.
The old rascal Uncle Sam, give him a hand.
Dirtiest geezer that’s ever stepped foot in this reputable café
And, the lovely, wonderful, Mother Russia
Don’t you wish you had a mother like her when you were a child?
A backhand one second and a roll of ones the next.
We have a hell of a line up for you tonight.
Uncle Sam has gathered 3 scrumptious girls
But first, let’s see who’s here.
Xi, I swear you haven’t moved from that spot in six years.
What’s that? Lifetime member?
Haven’t had one of those since Mao was hanging around.
No, I swear.
And here is our resident tiger and heart breaker-Vlad.
Conquered any new countries lately?
No? Ah, chin up.
There’s always tomorrow
Oh, a newcomer here and a looker at that.
Bashur?
Well, don’t you worry, dear,
We’ll take good care of you.
Ah, here come the girls!
First, the lovely Democracy!
She’s a little bloated, that’s true, but no one’s perfect.
Here is her lovely twin sister, Justice!
Isn’t she a beaut?
Backdoor’s a little sore, but don’t let that stop you
And, finally, Privacy.
Look gents, no modesty left.
Isn’t that lovely?
Ah, yes, Xi, my good sir.
Democracy, you say? Are you sure?
She’s been with some real dogs.
All in good fun, Vlad, all in good fun.
Ah, yes, Vlad, don’t you worry
Privacy was bought and reserved just for you
By the one and only,
The wonderfully clueless: Mark!
Oh, Bashar, dear, I’m sorry
but your card has been declined.
Oh! Vlad here’s willing to cover it.
What a gentleman.
What’s that? Where’s surveillance and propaganda?
Don’s having a go at them in the back.
Can’t you hear them squeal?
Yes, gentlemen, there is no place like the Ubermensch café
We understand that hard working leaders of the world
Need a place to recharge
And have their bruised egos soothed
While the world burns.
Pepper Writes 