- he sneaks back onto the stage
The ground has shifted and detritus litters the earth
shattered pieces of dreams, and freedom and hope
The camera, focused above this, sees only calm
Echoes of Black Lives Matter protest remain
- and the shouts that loud protests disrespect the police
Silent knee protests are hyped
- and told they disrespect the flag and the troops
White supremacist march
- and there are good people amoung them
Millions of workers are called scum and worse
papers filed to be sent back to Mexico or Central America or Puerto Rico
after strawberry season
The Department of Justice files with the court
- People can be fired for being gay
- good people don't have to serve gays, or house them, or feed them or operate on them
because that is Justice
In sickness and in health applies to marriage
not to Americans
He screams and swears at a madman
who screams and swears back
waving weapons and childish threats in a fun house mirror
While the country wails against diplomacy
against Health Care
against Clean Energy
against women who use birth control
against women who don't use birth control
against any sex that isn't had by old white men
Broken promises litter the stage
mixed into an angry froth by hate and power and fear
The press is evil. The people who aren't you are evil
I want to wake up in the country of promise and hope
I want to wake up in Obama's America
in Reagan's America
in Clinton's or Bush's America
in My America
But I don't.
I can't
My America is no longer promised to me or blacks or Hispanics or women
It is promised to those that hate others - turns out I am others too
But you knew that