Stale Yellow

This morning my country’s on orange alert;
or maybe stale yellow, if you feel perverse:
the color of bullies, who’re cowards, in fact,
who put down in others convictions they lack.

The war is on terror, they’ll loudly proclaim;
but killing is killing, no matter the name.
Nobody learns nothing by point of a gun,
‘cept when to stay hidden, and which way to run.

Freedom’s a journey, not some point in time
when your way of living is the same as mine.
Truth is an ocean and peace is a verb;
How we each get there shows what we deserve.

This morning my country’s enmeshed in a war
financed by the rich, fought by the young and poor
who trust in their leaders and will pay the cost
regardless of who we say has won or lost.

The war is for freedom, those leaders will say;
the world is our oyster, let’s keep it that way.
But force just accelerates, it won’t evolve;
making more problems than it ever solves.

Freedom’s a journey, not some future point
when who we like has the run of the joint.
Truth is an ocean and peace is a verb;
How we each get there proves what we deserve.

This morning my country’s on orange alert;
or maybe stale yellow, which may be much worse.

22 FEB 2007

Stale Yellow (demo)

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The Wrong Answer

How many, when they think

of right-wing strong-arm tactics
of national emergencies requiring increased security
of leaders not elected by the vote
of opposition candidates denounced as non-patriotic
of speeches that appeal to the lowest common denominator
of the discouragement of public criticisms of policy
of rounding up minority nationals for arrest
of increased eavesdropping, wiretapping, listening in
of failing domestic economy
of the crippling of an international ruling body
of finding an enemy outside to divert our attention
of a leader who believes themselves directed by God
of the Reichstag Fire

think of Hitler?

Wrong answer.

I’ll bet the French and Germans know.
I wonder why they are so hesitant to offer their support.

23 FEB 2003

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