BACKWARD

10, 9, 8, 7, 6… Moon-walking toward a less advanced civilization. A worse state. Rearward. In reverse.

The opposite direction. Turned around. Upside down. The Dark Ages.

                                                                           **********

People carrying a gun on their hip. Holsters. Feeling safe. Secure. Confident. Don’t mess around with me.

The wild, wild, west. John Wayne. Roy Rogers. The Lone Ranger. Gunsmoke. Bonanza. Head ‘em up,

move ‘em out. Bang. You’re dead.

**********

No more Muslims. Scary. Beards. Hijab’s. Bombs. Virgins. Quran. Mohammad. No Gooks. No Krauts. No

Slant Eyes. No Micks. No Polacks. No Jerrys. No Frogs. High fence. Concertina wire. Dogs. No entrance.

Not allowed. Only white skin. Christian faith.  English speaking.  Paleface.  Honkies welcome.

**********

Work to welfare. No free handouts. Minimum wage. Cheap labor. Child care. Broken down cars. Rent.

Utilities. Food. Health-care. Charity. Bread lines. Soup kitchens. Missions. Mandatory prayer. Thank God.

For what? Bankruptcy. McDonald’s. Wal-Mart. Papa John’s. Chick-fil-A. 60 hours per week. Three jobs.

No down payment. Poor credit. High credit card debt. Slavery. Indenture. The American way.

**********

The best is yet to come. Melting ice. Rising coastline. Polar bears. Miami. Super storms. Hurricanes.

Tornadoes. Floods. Denial. Carbon emissions. Cars.  More cars. 4-car garage. Melanoma. Forest fires.

Drought. Famine. Oil. Coal. Environmental destruction. Political clout. Insurrection. Revolution.

**********

The common cold. Flu. Shingles shot. Death. $1,000 pills. Save me. I’m dying. 104 years old. Nursing

homes. Assisted  living. New heart. New knee. Knees. New hip. Hips. High birth mortality. Poor

distribution. Universal health-care. Universal misery. Sorry. Medicaid. Medicare. Nothing lasts forever.

**********

Terror. Fear. Big Brother. Camera’s. Phone taps. Looking. Overseeing. Watching. Trust. Lack of. Guns.

Drones. Perpetual war. Suspicion. Bombs. Murder. Suicide. Guantonemo Bay. Virgins. Waterboarding.

Torture. American made. Getting even. Revenge. Payback. Arrogance. Rubbing it in. God Bless America.

**********

Hunger. Industrial crops. Corn. Soybeans. 1 in 4 children go to bed hungry. 1 in 3 seniors with not

enough to eat. Food scarcity. Crime. Shame. Luxury food. Guilty. Bone-in ribeye. Fine wine.  $75 meal.

Unfair abundance. Local Gardens. Sharing. Food banks. Soup kitchens. Bread. Beans. Sacrifice. Giving. 

Enough.

**********

Free choice.  Control.  Domination.  Male.  Pro-birth.  9 months.  Pain. Subordination.  Reckless.  

Unwanted.  Politicians. Tiny crosses on the church lawn.  White.  Christian. Country  club.  All-knowing.   I

know what’s best for you. Trust me.

**********

Perpetual war. Death. Bombing. Drones. Democracy. Military. Slogans. Songs. Flags. World domination.

Advertisements. Sporting events. Wounded Warriors. No legs. One arm. PTSD. Suicide. Enemies.

Terrorists. Weapons of mass destruction. A children’s, children’s war. Eisenhower. Military-industrial

complex. 55% of budget. Cold. Calculated. Murder. America: Love It or Leave It.

**********

Worried. Ashamed. Pathetic. Feel bad? Had enough? Stand up. Be counted. Burn flags. Sing your own

song. Take risks. Step outside your comfort zone. Scare yourself. Grab opportunities with both hands.

Bread. Housing. Education. Justice. Peace. Health-care. Free education. Community control. Local. Lives

matter. You matter. Free yourself from doubt. Hold your head up high. Quit kissing their ass. No matter

what your financial  status, social class, or disability, you are as good as them.  Let’s take back what is

ours.

Amen. Amen. Amen.