Thursday, July 6, 2023

Smile and Say Cheese

by  shaun lawton

  
 in  a disinformational media feeding frenzy  
cooperational  -  no such thing - the logic's backwards -
    and we're not cooperating - just coexisting 
in a tumultuous barrel not water-tight or waterproof 
 or even water resistant we're just a  soluble solution
 from the moment of conception  to death's instant 
we're apparitions in the midst of dissolution 
   under the impression we wrote a constitution 
to protect our rights to ammunition 
when the whole point was to agree 
we were made to be equal 
    and if you think that's weak,
 well you're as strong as the most fragile link 
all because you think your shit don't stink
 if we end up being held by a thread 
it better not be you the few the proud the true 
  the Marines must be more than mere machines 
because that fate won't hold our weight  
You on the couch with your self fulfilled prophecy, ouch
 sign on the dotted line your Mortal Will a fantasy  
born of fear and baptized with lies 
   mark the sign of the cross before you fetishize 
and transpose the blood of Christ  
      with blackened oil slicks among the fast
 and furious tricks along the highway to Hell 
 Oh, well you done cooked it now  your Christmas Goose 
just another fowl fallen  into your trap 
your Spider Mother's woven from the purest silk
 of imagination and now its still got its grip 
on a weakening nation  paralyzed inside
 its own constricted coils  so this is auto-suffocation 
endured in our nation  amid the polarized extremes
 out virtue-signaling each other in a deranged competition 
sort of like a pissing contest held by twelve year olds 
just waiting for the day the other side folds
 when since the beginning we forged a blood pact 
  to make sure we set aside our differences 
and that's a fact set in place long ago 
so we can solve our problems at hand
  amid a planet full of nations trying
 to outpace one another selling their own brand 
  of culture, goods and services while we champion
 freedom dripping with hypocrisy injected by the churches 
clamoring for more money and power 
so the will of God can claim the hour 
   when all along  the spiritual teachings of every known religion
 mirror each other revealing there's no division needed 
between people of different race, gender and nation 
we could stand to learn from each other
 instead of making accusations of cultural appropriation 
why on Earth can't everyone see one side 
needs the other or we'll never be free? 
 it's due to deep rooted quantum calculations 
too complicated for us to grasp out of hand
 which is why we say "let it be" so equilibrium may be given the time 
it needs to be achieved and while we wait we grease the wheels 
with this thing called faith whether you choose to capitalize it 
or not and regardless of how little or much of it you've got left 
there's enough to go around and I should know 
because I've found the proof every once in a while
 whenever a stranger returns my smile.