by Thomas Davis
They sat, the Governor and President,
Before the bristling microphones, the flood
Of waters on the earth, and, as they bent
Catastrophe into the pounding blood
Of prayers full of self-congratulations,
Old people sunk in wheelchairs, their thighs
Beneath the murky waters as, forsaken,
A child clung to its mother–as she dies.
Inside the microphones, great power spoke
And broadcast masks of headlong recklessness
As children cried and scores of parents woke
And saw the water’s rising deadliness.
In wind and water Gaia spoke to those
Whose voices bragged about their glorious woes.
fourwindowspress 
Well spoken, Thomas. It’s outrageous…and yet there are still so many supporters for these “leaders” and their empty words, their lies. It’s frightening. And it’s unbelievable, their failures in truly helping Texas. Thank you for writing and posting this.
It’s so strange to me, Betty. How can powerful, wealthy men be so outraged and celebratory about themselves in the same breath while suffering around them is so terrible? There is a recklessness abroad in the land that takes my breath away and terrifies me.
Me too, Thomas. Never in my life have I been so starkly afraid – of our own government!! And of whatever is driving it these days – global masterminds previously found only in fiction. Never before have I felt the presence of such pure evil coming from the white house. These are amoral forces, it seems. And too many are blind to what’s happening. I don’t think it’s a liberal/conservative battle anymore…. Both parties need to unite and restore sanity to the WH.
Outrageous indeed. Your impassioned sonnet inspired me to go at this appalling travesty from another angle. In the tradition of Monty Python I feel that some beliefs and behaviours are so monstrously deformed that perhaps only satire can attempt to get to grips with their hideousness and enormity. (End of rant.)
~~~~~~~~~~~
POTUS POOTS FORTH ANOTHER
“Wake up, Pop, you have to meet the press.”
“What is it this time? Why can’t I just tweet?”
“This Harvey thing’s too big. You have to meet.
And be careful not to look like you couldn’t care less.”
“Why don’t you go, Ivanka, in a slinky low-cut dress?
Distract ’em. Let your booty take the heat.”
“But you’ll be on TV, centre stage, comfy seat.”
“Well in that case … Oh no! look! My hair’s a mess.”
Now he’s in make-up sat polishing his schtick
And figuring ways he can stroll off with some money.
“I’ll have him deported.” “I’ll make Mexico build a big wall.”
“I’ll nuke him.” “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.”
Trouble is while thousands are dying yer bumpkin’s so thick
He thinks “this Harvey thing” is an invisible six-foot bunny.
Ah, Ben. ’tis the truth it is. This morning he stood before an oil refinery in North Dakota in Mandan near where the Standing Rock Sioux fought the pipeline, and smoke from fires from the severe drought can be smelled, and he bragged about how well his administration was handling all of the disasters. He also chortled about how effective he had been about opening the pipelines that Obama had blocked and about the thousands of jobs being created. That image is so powerful I think a hundred years from now it will be an iconic symbol of the crassness and stupidity of the American people in this part of the 21st century. Thank you for the Italian sonnet! Well done.
And how awful that (some) people are actually swallowing his spin and smug self-congratulation. I finally finished reading “The Flame Throwers” last night and began “The Weirding Storm”.
“That image is so powerful I think a hundred years from now it will be an iconic symbol of the crassness and stupidity of the American people in this part of the 21st century.”
Let us hope so, hope being increasingly scarce these days. 😦
I’m excited that you’re reading The Weirding Storm Ben.
Also buying a copy as a friend’s birthday gift. It is strange how as I read the first few chapters there arise in my mind the mental pictures I can recall from first reading them on your original WordPress postings. Familiar yet given my increasingly imperfect memory fresh once again.
Love the comment Ben Naga
🙂