The Poetic Political
Fumings of a Feisty Feminist
Making waves of change, one poem at a time.
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What have we become
Wishing death to those in need Then laugh as they lay dying Can’t you hear their haunting pleas? You say that you’re a Christian You say that you’re Pro-life Yet you cheer their deathly demise With passion that is rife. Humanity is buried ‘Neath your partisan politics You shout your hateful words As you hold your crucifix. I recently read an article about a Trump Rally where the audience cheered as someone shouted to shoot the immigrants at the border. I couldn't help but ask myself, "What have we become?" https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/05/09/shoot-them-trump-laughs-off-supporters-demand-violence-against-migrants/?utm_term=.7e407a9ff480
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“I couldn’t see his soul”
When I saw him face to face “…The History of Evil” As bigotry’s embraced. I wrote this poem after reading the news quoting the rabbi who looked the Chabad of Poway Synagogue shooter in the eye and said, "I couldn't see his soul", and the family of the shooter claiming their son was "A part of the history of evil". https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-48095998/rabbi-describes-seeing-synagogue-attacker-i-couldn-t-see-his-soul https://www.npr.org/2019/04/30/718563232/part-of-the-history-of-evil-parents-say-of-alleged-california-synagogue-shooter Jewish, Muslim, Christian
All spiritual competition. First dictated Texts created Then translated Into religious hatred Now indoctrinated Their destiny fated. Our sisters and our brothers Murdering each other. What of “Love one another”? Pick and choose your verse Quite the colossal curse. God is not around To clarify and expound. Never stopping to consider There will never be a winner. So we continue down this path And mourn the aftermath. From the Christian victims in Sri Lanka, to the Muslim victims in New Zealand and the Jewish victims in Pittsburgh…religious hatred is a global epidemic. “Thoughts and prayers”
When no one cares To try and solve the problem. Children killed Lives unfulfilled The guns become an emblem. Souls torn apart By their broken heart Drowning in a deluge of tears. But ignorant in action From an arsenal attraction As they send their “thoughts and prayers.” “Duty to God and Country”,
But not to the boys they hurt. Sexually abused, Power misused, Boy Scout Leader perverts. The Boy Scouts requires its members and leaders sign and agree to a Declaration of Religious Principle. Their oath states they be "morally straight" and their Scout Law includes being "clean" and "reverent toward God". Yet their leaders sexually abused over 12,000 boys and over 7,800 abusers (these are the counts that were reported). https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/24/us/boy-scouts-sexual-abuse-allegations/index.html It’s really rather funny
That you claim to be pro-life Because your hatred and your anger Have created quite the strife. Death to any woman Who dares decide what’s best For her body and her family Unable to protest. As you alter our democracy Into a harsh theocracy Founded on misogyny Your holy-hailed hypocrisy As Texas tries to pass a law that would make it possible to kill a woman who has an abortion, I felt it necessary to write this poem. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/04/10/texas-bill-would-make-it-possible-put-women-death-having-abortions/?utm_term=.4f0b7e116d99 New Zealand’s darkest day
As 49 were murdered By ignorance and fear When hatred was asserted. Killed for their beliefs Lives ended way too soon. Our hearts are torn apart His actions we impugn. Helpless and frustrated That fascism is to blame. Dozens killed and slaughtered Solely as a game. “They are us” We are them If only we could learn. It’s not too late to change But for them there’s no return. https://www.npr.org/2019/03/18/704671790/new-zealand-pm-ardern-urges-her-nation-to-make-gunman-nameless We’re shutting down on Christmas
We’re closing all our doors We’re building a big wall Built by our Army corps. Immigrants are banned Leave and go back home We don’t want you to pollute Our perfect white genome. Drugs, crime, and rapists Are all that you will bring Scream the red-faced yelling men From the panicked far right-wing. Mothers and their babies Are radical guerrillas Trained in special ops To be murderers and killers Absurd, you say? I thought so too But oh how wrong we are For the political paranoia Has gotten quite bizarre Tis the reason for the season To send those in need away We’ll call you names And throw you back Then sit at home and pray. “Shut up and Pray”
Is all they can say As they sit on their ass People slaughtered en masse. Close your eyes and don’t look Get’s them all off the hook. Then say that they’ll pray A nice religious display. Their halos are falling Regulations keep stalling. Neglecting their job Because of their god. Don’t try to fix it Or declare a limit They leave it alone Be sure to condone Yet families destroyed As they try to avoid Gun policy headway. Just “shut up and pray”! https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/royals/kellyane-conway-tells-media-to-shut-up-and-pray-for-christchurch-shooting-victims/vp-BBUT2U7 The faithful are the ones
Who abolished civil rights The President confirmed it This really should suffice. From separating children And locking them in cages Ensuring inequality For women and their wages. For those who seek our help We’ll build a bigger wall And if you are a Muslim There’s no entering at all The Bible touts forgiveness And loving one another But also stoning children If they disrespect their mother I guess it all comes down To which verse they choose to cite To guide us and our principles As they abolish civil rights. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/02/07/trump-lauded-abolition-civil-rights-his-gaffe-did-not-go-unnoticed/?utm_term=.7c52cebb161e Contained within the pen
Is the future and the past The words declared Imagined in ink Ascribed to society There is a power Within the pen One’s thoughts Transformed into words. Define the sexes Define the races Define us. For centuries Men controlled the pen Prescribed our roles Restricted our bodies Restrained our minds. Understanding this We now know, She who controls the pen Controls the power. What will you write? Two videos caught my attention today. The first was a video from HONY in which a mystic discusses the “control of the pen”, and second was a clip of Pat Robertson discussing the need to dismiss Saudi murder concerns because we’ve got a 190 billion dollar military arms deal with them. It was another realization that this “pro-life” religious leader actually cares less about lives and more about money. It’s time we give everyone a pen—let us define our own lives, roles, bodies in the ink of identity. https://www.facebook.com/humansofnewyork/videos/2052973148110108/ https://crooksandliars.com/2018/10/pat-robertson-shrugs-saudi-murder-cites For centuries women have fought
for equality, freedom, and personal autonomy But the truth remains Our bodies are puppets Manipulated by the men who fear us It is only when we acknowledge this truth That things will begin to change When we finally determine our destiny We will control our bodies And find our own justice. Rape kits no longer delayed Abortion restrictions removed The lifelong decision of motherhood Will be ours-- Not the politician’s or the church’s. Shame has no place here anymore We left it on the muddied doormat of indignity As we walked away and never looked back. Afraid of no one We stand tall Confident in ourselves Finding strength in each other As we take our first breath And cut the strings that controlled us. We’ve created our own hell
People live it every day As weapons maim and murder Our compassion’s gone astray. Empathy abolished Humanity denied Benevolence’s been beaten Our morals are revised. Extremism ignited Within various religions. Preaching death to others And making it their mission. No longer can we tolerate This horrid lack of judgment Their actions are disgusting Vile and repugnant. We have the strength within us We need only use our words Show kindness in our actions And speak so we’ll be heard. Read to understand Share what you have learned Hold out your hands to others Critical thinking must return. Question what you think is true And learn about new things Freedom in your knowledge Find purpose in your wings. It takes religion
To say they’re sinful. It takes religion To treat them like dirt. It takes religion To shun them from society. It takes religion To discard any worth. It takes religion To starve and neglect them. It takes religion To show them no love. It takes religion To abandon and abuse them. It takes religion And their god from above. To toss them aside like their refuse. To dispose of their bodies in a pit. Ignored, hidden, and forgotten The church is a true hypocrite. 796 children had vanished. “Fallen women” were shunned and shamed. As they built their magnificent cathedrals. And the bones in the pit went unnamed. https://www.nytimes.com/video/world/europe/100000005168975/tuam-ireland-babies.html "In my distress, I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; My cry came before him, into his ears." Psalms 18:6 "Love one another” Is their sacred dictum. Yet the young and the innocent Are their intended victims. The children they target For their perverse abuse Pure fear and blind faith They use to seduce. In the gates of Hell Our kids are betrayed Forced down to kneel As the evil priests prey. |
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Poetry by: AsherahAlthough she was selectively edited out of the Bible two thousand years ago, she raises her voice for women today in hopes of a better tomorrow, as she makes waves of change, one poem at a time. Archives
May 2020
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