Tag Archives: imperialism

Barbarians

Monsters pursue us across the Rhine,
like long dead nightmares resurrected,
our own corpses brought to life out of their time,
into ours with a fevered lust for revenge,
to live again.

They tower above the loftiest heads,
as thick as trees with ambitions for the horizon,
not seeing the walls or crowns
built to quench their desire, only what is past them,
beyond you.

When we were those monsters too,
you descended on us as crusaders,
knowing the needs we did not.

You conquered us, subjugated us,
and educated us,
so that we may yet be free,
under your regime
to pursue those needs you made for us.

Now, as they descend upon you, us, united,
our enemy, fast as white capped rivers rage;
we beg for intervention,
grant us now the peace you once denied,
let some part of us survive.

Safe Travels

We crossed the earth with planes, trains and automobiles
with boats, cruise ships, and whalers.
We crossed the earth with poisons
harpoons and muskets
with naked flesh hungry for furs
and insecurities demanding conquest.
With fears that birthed shackles and cages
and empty hearts that could recognize no others.
We crossed the earth with trade
financial analytics, global markets
bonds, loans and shell accounts;
with people and products and people as products.
We crossed the earth with shell fire,
artillery, war ships, fighter jets and drones.
With fire bombs, fire bats, patriot missiles
nuclear bombs and peace treaties;
with demilitarization, missionaries and imperialism.
We crossed the earth with progress,
invention, intention and exploration;
with philosophy and reason
the fires of icarus, and the smoke and mirrors of christ;
with the patience of Buddha, the temperament of Vishnu;
the criticism of Nietzsche, the ambition of Socrates
and with the virus of ignorance.
We crossed the earth over and over again
the betrayals stagnant in the air
as yet unanswered.

A Flag Flipped at Half Mast

Roughly hewn bold shoulders pierce clouds
hearing through the soft cotton of the sky
in an eternal attempt to deny
the cost which time at length enshrouds
a history of chaos caught in contortions
the passing days a gentle rain in the ocean

Where the transient will see might
the ageless will recall violent trauma
millions of years in tectonic drama
to break the skin with vicious spite
resigned to the cosmos. Never to move again
until at last these same forces push them to their end.

They quake with anticipation
an unbearable anxiety
that brings them within reach of piety
at the expense of damnation
the earth a parchment on which will be writ its dirge
should the progenitor finally emerge

By the time that day came to pass
the monster spoke with fire now set free,
“I give to the world what it took from me,”
buried it in molten and ash
then, at last, returned to the earth from which it came
never knowing it had itself to blame.

Selling Coffins

Someone is always behind the curtain
don’t listen to the lies they might tell you
the roots of words can be twisted askew
but you can of this one thing be certain
someone is there to exploit your burden
to change the dynamics of all you knew
just to find reasons to make you subdue
as if consumed by some violent sermon.
They cannot fight these battles on their own
so of course they beguile us with their charms
with more wealth than we could have ever known
because the best way they can avoid harm
is to offer us an interest free loan
thus consigned in their name to take up arms

The youth – factory farmed
to keep corpses alive
the impoverished deprived

Lives – are always ending
for those we should be spending.

Dialogue 2

“Bring enough change for the ride home
where we go you won’t wish to stay.
Though we leave this place for today
you and I were not built to roam,
it’s not part of our genome.
We go now because we must
but let us not tempt wanderlust.
Our roots will always remain here.
We too will always remain near
until all that we are is dust.”

“You act as if we have a choice.
What we seek is not in this place,
I can see it writ on your face,
I hear the quaver in your voice
why should you not instead rejoice?
The strength we need is within reach
be damned the ideals that you preach.
We move now to greater rewards
let us embark with enthused swords
the courage in you I beseech.”

“We move like branches in the storm
bent with intentions in the air
the winds of another’s despair;
this is what they see of our form
the subtle act we all perform
yet our hearts are deep in the ground,
sheltered from the sights and the sounds.
They would have you find strength elsewhere
but strength will always be right there
when peace deigns to come back around”

The Cost of Freedom

The broken skyline
bright spires lit red with disaster
empty shells fan the flames faster
when fire and poverty entwine
the wind too will become aligned
chaotic like a child’s laughter
the broken skyline
bright spires lit red with disaster

Democracy demonstrated
and remotely detonated

To the world they have consigned
these streets filled with blood and plaster
tiled with bones of alabaster
a bit of truth in the maligned;
the broken skyline.