How can a government
Of, by, and for the people
Apply to those who were
NOT a people, not even
Deemed people
By the ruling "peeps"?
But what to do?
The "of" exists
For we are governed
By hordes of people
Immune from layoffs, firings,
Fat with pensions and salaries
We pay for.
The "for" is an everlasting battle
As humanity's best are still
Corrupted
And its worst take joy
In every hole punched
In the peacejoylove balloon.
But it's the "by" that is the rub.
It's not the money they have
We hate.
It's the power that laughs
At "equal justice" "due process"
"fair trial" "presumed innocent"
It's the impact of the same
Mistake
That is shaken off easily
By the children of the estate
But borne for life
By most of us.
The racism factor only skews
What is the inhumanity
Of rulers who still dare
Call themselves "servants"
And see the rest of us as
"47%"
"Irredeemable deplorables"
"Animals"
"Scum"
"supremacists"
"wordswhitepeopledarenotsay"
Dehumanizing anyone in their way
They ridicule, exagerrate, hell,
Make up filth from whole loincloth,
Excusing their pornography
By blaming the other guy.
Their greatest fear
Is that, before they can
Erase the collective memory,
We remember our mantra
Love your neighbor as yourself.
Worse, what if some imitate
That Good Samaritan
And like Arlo's draftboard dream
We march into their prisons
Indoctrination centers
Tenements, boardrooms
Singing you can get
Anything you want
If you join with us
In the name of love.
But that's not gonna happen
If we keep saying hooray
For OUR SIDE
Forty years in the wilderness
After 400 years in Egypt
Should be ENOUGH ALREADY!
The One Percent we should
Focus on is NOT
The gang at the top
We beat evil by being good
The really hard one percent
Is the minimum, rounded up,
That makes you need to
Ask forgiveness
For what is likely
A much larger share.
Die to self is the key
To all dispute resolution
And yet our pride
Which is really our lie
Is our king of the island
Lord of the Flies
Disguise.
Take off your mask
For you are a child
In a world full of wonder
And yet the serpent
Has beguiled your
Vain imagination
To see the glass half drained
While quickly evaporation
Is taking the rest
Of that water of life
That will instead overflow
Only if you pour it out
To water your world
And prepare for the harvest.
Duggan Flanakin is a science policy analyst with a Masters in Public Policy from Regent University. His faith-based work includes serving as editor of "Progressive Vision," the voice of Judeo-Christian Restoration Ministries, and the on-air voice of "Branches," a weekly radio show featuring "Washington's Christian Music Makers." He is now a syndicated columnist and author of "Infinite Galaxies: Poems from the Dugout."
