Saturday, January 2, 2021

day FOURTEEN HUNDRED and FORTY SIX

14 Haiku for Fascism

lives fleshing (the) dream of the beautiful, needful thing.

-- Frederick Douglas, by Robert Hayden




1 Powerful and Continuing Nationalism

The stars are not violent

except twinkling twin shoulders

over whitest smile.



2 Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights

Rose bouquets will never heal all

except when demons hold them

between their teeth.



3 Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause

Love thy neighbor, and some of God’s

children but if their hands

are folded, shoot first.



4 Supremacy of the Military

Mist is not malevolent

except when baked with pepper and mace;

add sulfur for fun.



5 Rampant Sexism

Happy fingers snap or clap

especially when the He

fucks the sultry and dumb.



6 Controlled Mass Media

Agree with the immaculate doctrine

fake news as fakes news does –

the He says so!



7 Obsession with National Security

Inter the bad guys while they sleep

cage them before they

foul our perfect gardens.



8 Religion and Government are Intertwined

The flipped bible in the paws of a zealot

proves might is right,

and despots can be holy.



9 Corporate Power is Protected

Release the yoke of deregulation

let the rape begin and the elite

shall reap all manna.



10 Labor Power is Suppressed

Insects live and work in hives

except when we melt the nests

where they breed.



11 Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts

That doesn’t rhyme;

I hate those colors.

Eggheads everywhere need scrambling J



12 Obsession with Crime and Punishment

Choke those non-white bastards.

Vigilantes and cowboys

will tip the scale our way.



13 Rampant Cronyism and Corruption

We know who our friends are

the He will trickle down,

everybody’s bounty, eventually.



14 Fraudulent Elections

We don’t need another hero

can’t trust ballots, or boundaries,

only bail outs.



Amen

You can ignore the weather

as rain is simple enough in its grandeur. 

--Sam Barbee



previously published in Poetry That Sustains Us AT&T University

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