—Poetry by Caschwa, Sacramento, CA
—Public Domain Photos Courtesy of
Joe Nolan, Stockton, CA
WE NEED TO WIN ALL OVER AGAIN
spirits high and pure
we yielded to the losers
now they command us
I. LESSON
An apartment neighbor had an electric blanket
that was supposed to shut off automatically before
overheating, but it failed and it flamed. The
spirits high and pure
we yielded to the losers
now they command us
I. LESSON
An apartment neighbor had an electric blanket
that was supposed to shut off automatically before
overheating, but it failed and it flamed. The
neighbor managed to take it to the front parking lot
where responding fire department personnel put it
out, double checked, then left. It flared up again,
and the fire department had to respond again to
finish the job.
II. SADLY
Since the beginning of WWII,
a number of hostile foreign
nations were testing the limits
of our defenses in different fields
of battle.
In response, our Congress exercised
its empowerment to declare war
on 6 occasions, each passing with
a unanimous vote in the Senate.
Finally, as is well documented,
we deployed a nuclear weapon
to stop the enemy from any
further testing of our defenses.
Fortunately, we were ready.
About 80 years later comes the
Insurrection of January 6, 2021,
and the Congress, empowered by
the Constitution to raise funds and
deploy a militia to suppress such
insurrections, cannot agree to
even hold a vote, let alone take
meaningful action.
A new enemy is testing us again.
Without one shot being fired, they
have taken note that the same
Congress that was so hogtied by an
insurrection that it could do nothing
at all, might also fail to move a little
finger, even if dire circumstances
dictated that they declare war again.
The chances that we will be sternly
tested again are far too high to be
acceptable. Sadly, we are not ready.
III. TEMPER
our government works by
consent of the governed
until complaints are raised
by those who have not learned
“don’t tell us what to do,
we hate outside control,
hands off our guns and slaves
you socialist asshole!”
we have a flag, we do,
for our United States
pledging an allegiance
that transcends petty hates
“who do you think you are
to mandate we wear masks
or get vaccinations,
as if that’s our prime task?”
even good friends dispute
who gets to call the shots,
more folks will have to die
till we untie these knots
IV. CONQUER
Muhammad Ali said it best:
“You gotta whup the champion.”
so we had a big, f***ing Civil War to bring
an end to slavery, which left the winners
appeased with a few administrative remedies
on paper, while the losers didn’t ever admit
defeat, and that is the foundation of our
government today, same way
so on January 6 last year we had a big,
f***ing Insurrection to try to alter the voting
results of the last election, which left the
prevailing side with videos of the violence,
hopes for a thorough investigation, and again
the losers would neither admit defeat nor
back off on their fiery passion to vanquish
anyone who stands in their way
or as seen through another lens, January
6 was an attempt to make a big, f***ing
impression that they were nobly rising up
from the ashes of past failures, which explains
why there is no way to convince these people
that what they did was wrong, as they remain
so steadfast in burying that dead horse named
Reconstruction once and for all
screw our nation of laws, and points of order!
the whole notion of co-equals has been off the
table for two centuries, leaving us stuck in the
epoxy of the culture of slave plantations, until
we can finally render a crushing defeat to those
“Americans” who pledge allegiance to a contrary
flag
_________________
Our thanks to Caschwa (Carl Schwartz) today for his epic poem. Politics has a role in poetry, too, especially in fiery times such as these…
Lincoln Poets feature Sheila Lopez today on Zoom at 3pm; check out our UPCOMING NORCAL EVENTS link at the top of this column for details about that and other future poetry events in our area.
_________________
—Medusa
II. SADLY
Since the beginning of WWII,
a number of hostile foreign
nations were testing the limits
of our defenses in different fields
of battle.
In response, our Congress exercised
its empowerment to declare war
on 6 occasions, each passing with
a unanimous vote in the Senate.
Finally, as is well documented,
we deployed a nuclear weapon
to stop the enemy from any
further testing of our defenses.
Fortunately, we were ready.
About 80 years later comes the
Insurrection of January 6, 2021,
and the Congress, empowered by
the Constitution to raise funds and
deploy a militia to suppress such
insurrections, cannot agree to
even hold a vote, let alone take
meaningful action.
A new enemy is testing us again.
Without one shot being fired, they
have taken note that the same
Congress that was so hogtied by an
insurrection that it could do nothing
at all, might also fail to move a little
finger, even if dire circumstances
dictated that they declare war again.
The chances that we will be sternly
tested again are far too high to be
acceptable. Sadly, we are not ready.
III. TEMPER
our government works by
consent of the governed
until complaints are raised
by those who have not learned
“don’t tell us what to do,
we hate outside control,
hands off our guns and slaves
you socialist asshole!”
we have a flag, we do,
for our United States
pledging an allegiance
that transcends petty hates
“who do you think you are
to mandate we wear masks
or get vaccinations,
as if that’s our prime task?”
even good friends dispute
who gets to call the shots,
more folks will have to die
till we untie these knots
IV. CONQUER
Muhammad Ali said it best:
“You gotta whup the champion.”
so we had a big, f***ing Civil War to bring
an end to slavery, which left the winners
appeased with a few administrative remedies
on paper, while the losers didn’t ever admit
defeat, and that is the foundation of our
government today, same way
so on January 6 last year we had a big,
f***ing Insurrection to try to alter the voting
results of the last election, which left the
prevailing side with videos of the violence,
hopes for a thorough investigation, and again
the losers would neither admit defeat nor
back off on their fiery passion to vanquish
anyone who stands in their way
or as seen through another lens, January
6 was an attempt to make a big, f***ing
impression that they were nobly rising up
from the ashes of past failures, which explains
why there is no way to convince these people
that what they did was wrong, as they remain
so steadfast in burying that dead horse named
Reconstruction once and for all
screw our nation of laws, and points of order!
the whole notion of co-equals has been off the
table for two centuries, leaving us stuck in the
epoxy of the culture of slave plantations, until
we can finally render a crushing defeat to those
“Americans” who pledge allegiance to a contrary
flag
_________________
Our thanks to Caschwa (Carl Schwartz) today for his epic poem. Politics has a role in poetry, too, especially in fiery times such as these…
Lincoln Poets feature Sheila Lopez today on Zoom at 3pm; check out our UPCOMING NORCAL EVENTS link at the top of this column for details about that and other future poetry events in our area.
_________________
—Medusa
Photos in this column can be enlarged by
clicking on them once, then clicking on the x
in the top right corner to come back to Medusa.
Would you like to be a SnakePal?
All you have to do is send poetry and/or
photos and artwork to
kathykieth@hotmail.com. We post
work from all over the world—including
that which was previously published—
and collaborations are welcome.
Just remember:
the snakes of Medusa are always hungry—
for poetry, of course!
clicking on them once, then clicking on the x
in the top right corner to come back to Medusa.
Would you like to be a SnakePal?
All you have to do is send poetry and/or
photos and artwork to
kathykieth@hotmail.com. We post
work from all over the world—including
that which was previously published—
and collaborations are welcome.
Just remember:
the snakes of Medusa are always hungry—
for poetry, of course!
