A Cold Day in Hell
Mandate? Majority? Where am I?
There’s a new administration in town! Well, not all new. But they’re bringing a new rule to the office, the country, the whole shebang! As if we didn’t already know what kind of a shitshow this was going to be. Having learned from their introductory term, ‘17 to ‘21, they’ve got it down this time. Or they think they have, they’re giving it a hell of a shot out of the gate, Trump Team 2.0, the Chaos Corp, hit the ground running. We have no choice but to deal with the shit we did or didn’t vote for. That’s the thing about voting or not voting: it matters (as many folks are finding out firsthand). Let’s hope the system will prevail. That doesn’t mean it won’t be painful. It’s going to get worse because it hasn’t hardly started.
If we stand up, show up, support this system, do what we can do to resist these threats to our representative democracy and the rule of law, I have to believe we will survive. Given what we have witnessed in less than one month, if the legislative branch continues to support this damage to the system in the name of “streamlining” and the courts somehow should fail us, then as our “forefathers” warned us: this is not going to be easy. We should be prepared to fight to keep it, to make it work—that could mean a rebellion. Not a protest, a concerted effort to reclaim the America we grew up in. Remember that? Those concepts of liberty and justice for all? The idea that all of us are created equal with certain inalienable rights: the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness AS LONG AS IT DOESN’T INFRINGE UPON THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS. Seems like there’s a whole lot of that going on.
If you want to restrict other people’s rights to live their lives as they’d like, deny them that freedom, then you are un-American by definition. The White House and many representatives across the country in public service (snort-cough) are bent on denying others equal rights, personal privacy, and equal protection under the law. They all just happen to be associated with the Grand Old Party. The “Real Republicans:” my grandfather, Abe Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt, are now doing cartwheels in their graves. Trump’s GOP (there’s no denying that) is basically an Un-American Activity Committee. Like their disregard for freedom of religion and the separation of church and state. Isn’t that about as Un-American as you can get? These assholes want a “big” (it’s gotta be big) copy of the Ten Commandments posted in every PUBLIC school classroom! Well, this is my personal and quite American response to that idea: NO. Absolutely not. Why anyone who calls themselves an American would be okay with that is jaw-dropping to me. I feel the heat rising in my neck, the hairs going up on the back of my head, and my heart rate increasing. These motherfuckers wave the United States Constitution in one hand and the Bible in the other. Why their hands have not burned from the hypocrisy of touting those texts, I don’t know. They must not be able to read. They know the mythological power that these books hold over so many folks who’ve never read either one but respect their authority like they respect the authority of their ancestors and the political party that’s always had their best interests at heart (they believe). Many of those good-hearted, God-fearing Conservatives probably only know a few hand-picked passages they love to quote, which is perfect for today’s media: a soundbite, hand-held, 24 second “news” cycle reality.
That has me wondering why I even bother writing this shit. Am I just singing to the choir? How many will even take the time to read the thoughts of anyone, let alone some left-wing woke-pinko bleeding-heart lib-tard? I have to believe there are still people interested in ideas and interested in listening to others. I know why I write: I like talking to myself because I like listening. And if I can’t read aloud or talk to someone interesting, I’ll shower myself in the wisdom that is me. What else are we going to do before we disappear? We’ll do the only thing we can do to not go insane because there is no rational reason why we should give a fuck about anything. For we are as monumental as a quark in the universe up a gnat’s ass. The only reason I keep shitting myself about trying to communicate and help others is because I know and love a few of you (actually many of you, although it’s not many given the great scope of humanity). I guess this feeling of connection, empathy, care, that I call love, is something Team Trump and Musk-Rat don’t feel, or are incapable of feeling. If they were capable of love, they wouldn’t be doing what they are doing or behaving the way they behave.
So, like many of you, I have my eyes on them, will continue monitoring their actions and be prepared to stand up when needed, but I will continue living my life, loving those I can, helping out when and where I can. Also, I will work at enjoying myself each day. One of the best places for me to play is here, scribbling something. I always loved reading, which led me to believe I might contribute to that enterprise, the entertainment of words. If you are entertained, I am thrilled, and humbly appreciative.
Playing on the slag-heaps, swimming in the town-toilet, whistling through the poison cloud: growing up we had no ideas about the depravity of man till we read Orwell, Steinbeck, and others. We learn from history, from experience, communication, and education. Peace, my friends, and Resist Authoritarians always. Oh, the humanity!
humanity oh, the humanity of it all tuesday mornin' wake-up call the fox is in the hen house the king is counting money peeking at his furry spouse drowned in milk & honey the squeaky squirrel flicks her tail—she bags her tricks packed with pills & Robin trills ignores the crow's harsh squawks forked tongues lick porcupine quills fiddle-faddling their diddle-docks all high as Yellow Pondy-pines perverts take & the jerk refines his clownish art of being awful till hump-day hangovers arrive still fables circle—never offer less pain to survive being alive trump-play doesn't really matter beyond the goal of getting fatter but on the bandstand east of Eden some are more equal than others treason flowers in every season but not for long sisters & brothers cuz there's no difference in the end buzzards dine on mice & men Mark Gibbons
It’s all free—it’s poetry! But if you’re flush and like what you read, please make a contribution to Mark My Words. It helps this little world keep going round. Peace
I'm a bleeding heart who, I think, came up with the best theory in the Marines. We (really) are all one soul. Times will change, but certain things will not. Excellence, truth, virtue, strength. These days must wait for a new opportunity, one that certainly will arise. Faith. Not in a religious-faced god, but in the profound gift of Spring, the miracle of birth, a grandchild.
DEMOCRACY FOR SALE. All liberties must go. Billionaires only need apply.
GULAGS OPENING soon near you. Franchises available.
KENNEDY CENTER LINEUP ANNOUNCED. President dances to YMCA. Kid Rock reimagines American Pie. RFK to perform shirtless pushups. My Pillow guy recites Serenity Prayer. First Lady stands on stage and scowls.
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