Writer’s Block

 
A blank page
and a blank mind
Stare each other down.
Determined adversaries,
Each waiting for the other to blink.
Eventually a thought worth writing,
A clever rhyme, a new idea,
An image will come to mind.
A compelling argument,
An inspired story, or maybe not.
Maybe tonight the page will win,
And I will say uncle.

Maybe tonight, I will crumple up my mind,
And toss it in the wastebasket,
And take my empty head to bed.
But tomorrow, I will make the page blink.
  

A Dime’s Worth of My Mind

 
Those who know me know that I’m never bashful about adding my 2 cents worth to a political conversation. I’m also prone to jotting my opinions down from time to time. Here are a few excerpts from last year's stack of rants:

My 2 cents worth about the end of the Bush/Cheney era
(November 2008)

After witnessing since the beginning of the new millennium the financial and moral gutting of our country and constitution by George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and the administration’s inner circle of neo-con criminal co-conspirators, some of whom date back to the Nixon administration; at last we in America and across the world received the welcome news on Tuesday, November 4th of 2008, that the devastation of the Republican pendulum that has cut through so much on it’s eight year swing to the right is finally nearing the end of it’s destructive arc. (Think Poe’s Pit and the Pendulum here.) As we look up at it today, the blade’s dulled edge seems almost harmless. Because of our collective efforts we can be assured that it will slow a little more each day until it finally comes to a complete rest on Tuesday January 20th of 2009 when Barack Obama is sworn into office. And when it finally stops the rusty blood stained blade will be removed from the pendulum to be replaced with the hope of a nation ready to come together to do the hard work to repair the damage that can still be repaired, to make amends for that which cannot, to pray for those who have suffered and died beneath the slicing fascist edge of this administration, and to shine a light on those who were responsible.

My 2 cents worth about the Bush crime family
(June 2009)

Why are we quietly allowing the Bush administration to sail off into the history unchallenged? We can clearly see that crimes were committed in our name, and we know for the most part who was responsible. Why then are we not demanding that Bush, Cheney, Rove, Rumsfeld, Ashcroft and the others be tried for the crimes of their administration? I don’t expect Barack to go after them, but I damn well expect him to get out of the way and let the Justice Department its job. The last four Republican administrations have all committed serious crimes against our country and all four have been allowed to get away with it, signaling to each successive gang of criminals that they will not be held to account for their actions, no mater how unlawful or destructive to the country they may be. If the Obama administration does not allow the justice system to work as it was designed, allowing no persons to stand above the law, then it will have failed us all. For whatever other good President Obama may do in the next four to eight years, it will all be undone if the next gang of thugs who enter the White House are allowed to do as they please without fear of laws that once upon a time governed even them.

My 2 cents worth about the "Right to Bear Arms”
(September 2009)

Like so many Americans, I own a gun or two and believe in the second amendment, but unlike many I believe in the ENTIRE second amendment as it was written; “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Did you notice the “well regulated” part? Remember folks the second amendment was written with the idea that America would NOT maintain a permanent standing army, and that in times of war EVERY man from 17 to 47 would report to his local militia to fight for his country. Funny how the N.R.A. crowd always seems to forget that part. Maybe they never knew it in the first place, but their “smarter” Bible thumping, corporate pumping right wing media talking heads ought to know it. However they seem to suffer from a selective memory disorder so unwavering that the ignorance of the masses they lead seems destined to become permanent condition; a terminal tumor on the brain of America. The “shoot first and ask questions later” crowd is now just the “shoot first crowd.” They no longer bother to ask questions.

My 2 cents worth about President Obama
(September 2009)

He was tossed the keys to the Titanic after it hit the iceberg, and the republican sharks are now in the water convincing the ignorant among us that lifejackets are a socialist plot, while the filthy rich commandeer the lifeboats. Under the circumstances, swimming against the currents of bigotry and stupidity, he's working his butt on our behalf, and I for one think he deserves our support.

My 2 cents worth about “One Nation Under God”
(October 2009)

The U.S. Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy without any reference to God, but in 1954 Reverend George Docherty convinced President Eisenhower and the U.S. Congress to insert the words ''under God'' into the Pledge during the anti-Communist fervor of the McCarthy era (during the black-listings of teachers, professors, actors, writers, etc. who Joe McCarthy and his ilk deemed to be communists.) The change was made to link religion with patriotism and to separate us from the “Godless” Soviet Union.

It’s too bad Eisenhower (I like Ike) didn’t realize that telling people to disavow God as the Soviet government did, and telling people to pledge to a nation “under God” as the U.S. government did, were BOTH acts of governments telling people how to think about God. What business is that of ANY government?! I know Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Taliban, etc. will be furious at me for saying that, but they can go to hell for all I care. I’d rather my government worshipped FREEDOM, and let me worship my religion (or not) as an individual. –Amen
 

Fear of Flossing

My head bounced off the vanity,

and rolled across the floor.

I saw the ceiling, wall, and tile,

and then the wall once more.

The view just kept repeating,

and my nose was getting sore.

The redundancy was killing me,

'til alas, I saw the door.

Out on the kitchen floor I rolled,

between the dining chairs,

underneath the dining table.

It was dusty under there.

I hadn’t noticed that before,

but I guess I shouldn't care;

because I had bigger problems,

for example - cellar stairs!

My trip down the hall was fretful.

All my sins I did confess,

'cause the cellar door was open,

adding greatly to my stress.

Yes, I always get religious,

when I'm facing such duress.

Then just inches from the stairs,

my lucky noggin came to rest.

And while my glee was genuine,

it was also quickly spent,

as I recalled the minute prior,

when I was a taller gent;

before I grabbed that length

of waxy string with minty scent.

Before I had my horrible, freakish,

dental floss accident.