Thanksgiving

a poem of sorts

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Here’s hoping you all have a good time today with those you’re with. Count your blessings. Remember if love shows up, let her in. Anything can happen after that. Peace

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Thanksgiving

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You are thankful to be here

(and white) and feeling

thankful (a cowardly admission)

that you are (sadly) feeling

comfortable and secure

waiting for what comes next.

You know gratitude is easy

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If you aren't in pain or

under the constant threat

of terror. Thanksgiving

is a sweet word, sewing

thanks and giving, love

sharing the seasonal

bounties of our labor.

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America has always been

good at spinning a story,

shining the sacred light

of humility and compassion

on itself, ourselves, midst

slavery, civil war, blood

feuds, and of course that yarn

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About those poor pilgrims

being saved by noble savages,

how Honest Abe designated

that Gettysburg feast where

Johnny Reb and Yankee Dan

put aside their hate to feed

a holiday weekend, toast

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Our drive to dominate,

call it our god-given right

to do as we please, keep

whatever we want, what we

say we need, deserve, what

we've taken or gained from

the sweat of other brows.

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Thanksgiving is perfect

satire, irony, hypocrisy.

We are a nation founded

on selfish aggression, willing

murder to attain our destiny,

doing anything to hold power.

The story behind the story.

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Today you hope most are able

to smile, celebrate kindness

and generosity with family,

whomever they are, believe in

the idea of a harvest dinner held

in peace with grace, a community

working to be kind to others.

*

Mark Gibbons

November 25, 2021

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