[Crystal]
All of us were moved
by the parade of issues
that gave pause to all
blind statements of the greatness
of American culture
as demonstrated
by conscious deceits that blur
the herd from seeing
life-saving solutions, or
presidential lies tied to
health issues that lead
people astray that helped spread
the Covid virus
that took more than six hundred
thousand American lives.
[Hastings]
Johnathan had been
impressed by the quest pressed hard
into the metal
that made Joe’s Honor Coin plain
for all to easily see
the first terrible
error that severs success
from governing quests.
When you politicize lies
to ride into leadership
positions, you loose
the first condition to solve
what’s to be resolved.
Truth always survives; lies die.
Perpetual solutions
demand a grand Truth.
The only verb on the face
of Joe’s Honor Coin
is nurturing, countering
competing, as the action
that will manifest
the best probability
for stability
regarding the infusion
of the five character traits
that will culminate
in the fruitful governance
to end confusion
from feuding parties dueling
to win the day who will say
anything to sway
decision-makers who rule
for the benefit
of themselves with great profits
for family and good friends
to defend privileged
status against humble folk
who resist the yoke
of servitude and rude words
that insult, demean and stream
from entitled lives
that thrive from the fine labor
of dedicated,
simple people who favor
community endeavors
like picnics, ball games
and country fairs where children
are shared with their gramps,
cousins, uncles, aunts and friends
during weekend adventures
that procure more fun
than boardroom, cold, strategies
of minds that perceive
calculated enticements
that benefit their clients
over communal,
harmonious revelry
when the workweek’s done.
[Phillip]
One hundred to two hundred
thousand American lives,
or more, did not need
to die if leaders heeded
the voice of reason
and scientific data,
but Republican, alpha
males hailed the holy
grail of freedom recklessly
to tout carelessly
that mandatory masks cast
doubt about democracy’s
ability to
regulate public health care
to spare the despair
of massive deaths of love ones
from the infectious disease
that kills ruthlessly
but is easily stymied
with a simple mask,
good hand washing hygiene and
six-foot social distancing
that impairs air streamed
human droplets replete with
harsh Covid disease.
As a frontline health worker,
I witnessed the cruel horror
from pandemic deaths
of patients and my colleagues
from poor leadership.
Freedom to infect others
is not a privilege nor right.
[Donald]
This is a large group
and we all carry the coin
but the starting troupe
was less than ten, but by then
that core bore a strong resolve
to investigate
those fresh-found coins to locate
the stellate wisdom
that would hopefully blossom
into practical measures
that better concurs
with what we believe we feel
to be completely
true to what we have perceived
as errors in governance.
Compton was the man
who ran the gathering shared
via Johnathan’s
continuous reflections
aired frequently until he
consequently planned
to expand his best effort
to assert his truth
regarding the benefits
of having a gathering
to initiate
a congregation of those
who would propose goals
to live alternatively,
peacefully, by abiding
the implied precepts
and concepts that now hang there
on our banner.
As we are now performing
social exchanging of thoughts
wrought with each person’s
perceptions, so it has been
since the gathering
before the banner was formed.
We talk; we act; we reflect.
[Cole]
So everything we’ve
observed has occurred through plans
constructed through your
continued group discussions
and consensus agreements
that spans your current
history that culminates
in acts that inflate
incredible, apparent,
cooperative focus.
I must, therefore, ask:
Is this utopian bliss?
[Donald]
That’s not so because
we have tragedies and death
that take away our breath,
and our standards
need accountability.
Without such decrees,
standards are empty, cheesy
deceits that defeat virtue.
But, critically,
accountability isn’t
hateful punishment,
rather, it is consequence
natural to the event.
I know a member
who considered a tough choice
between heart and mind
to find the best solution
to a grim situation.
His youthful lover
had discovered her error
in courtship fever
conjured up by her suitor
who would become her husband
through fabrication
and pretense to be other
than he really was
because, once bound, she found him
demanding and abusive
creating in her
a fearful anxiety
of uncertainty
about her future safety
and well being seeing him
truly as he was.
She embraced happiness, joy,
kindness and comfort
in other masculine arms
but became alarmed anew
at his undue rage
at her independent view
at what she’d pursue
to enhance her chance to grow
her strength and her competence.
Thus the stage was set
for folks to regret choices
that would configure
the bases for solutions
or tragic resolutions.
On a fateful night
tragedy would strike at hearts
that tried to start fresh
from a past tightly enmeshed
with incorrect perceptions
that lead to a death.
A single shot through the heart
dropped a bold, fake mate.
Hearts of unprepared souls scold
minds to find why lives are lost.
Utopian bliss
is a myth. Reality
is learning lessons.
[Johnathan]
We’ve been sitting for awhile.
Our smiles need refreshing
and I need some food,
drink and fun entertainment.
Arrangements were made
for horseshoes in the cool shade
or choose between volleyball
or group badminton.
Cards and tame board games are found
in our rec room.
This discourse is to resume
for those who wish to admit
more keen interests
in the adjustments we’ve made
to upgrade Life’s joy
with alternative precepts
in ninety minutes for sure.
[Marlo]
Many fled for food.
A different mood moved some
to welcome old friends
to commiserate over
past events spent foolishly
or else wisely played
to add flavor to their days
of youthful vigor.
[Kevin]
That was some presentation.
I’ve learned more of your concern,
Donald, about terms
that affirm the use of force
to take to shake off
intended mayhem from those
who suppose they’re above all
to impose their will
to kill all hope of escape
to take back one’s life.
[Donald]
Kevin, how the hell are you?
Tell me, how is your friend, Bree?
Hope she’s doing well.
[Kevin]
I’m told that she’s doing fine.
Haven’t seen her since
that day Twisting went away.
I could not persuade her heart
to restart our
romance that enhanced her life.
The shock of his blood
rocked her sensitivity
beyond my ability
to rebalance us
to overcome the onslaught
that prying eyes brought.
[Donald]
I’m sorry for the outcome
that had begun when seeking
to free Bree from him.
I once thought that she should have
fought in divorce court,
but then Twisting’s hot revenge
would not bend to the Court’s will.
There are a few who
cannot be told to uphold
peaceful conclusions
but must learn that their concern
for themselves cannot burn through
the lives of others.
Such folk need to discover
that those who chose strength
will live with kindness until
self-defense must be dispensed.
Twisting’s great mistake
was to forsake soft learning
for hard lessons learned
through applied surgical force.
You were the source of that force.
Now Bree can live free
more safely guarded against
convincing deceits.
[Katherine (Kate)]
Hey Kevin, want to crochet
or play croquet, you wuss, you?
[Kevin]
In a bit, but first
come and meet an old hombre
who helped me convey
my pointed aggravation
with vicious agitation.
Kate this is Donald;
Donald, Kate. We’ve been dating
so be kind and find
my best qualities to share
and spare us your war stories.
[Donald]
A joy, Katherine.
Any friend of Kevin’s has
my deep sympathy.
[Kevin]
Great, very good, should have known;
let’s go throw some horseshoes, pal.
[Kate]
So when did you meet
my quiet, sweet friend, Kevin?
At a photo shoot?
[Donald]
No, it was a hunting trip;
not the same type of shooting.
I’m not disputing
the pleasure of young artists
pursuing their craft
but I ply my trade as one
policeman who firmly stands
on the borderlands
between acts that attack lives
and those that nurture.
So, I develop my skills
to track, corner and harvest
those who will invest
their energy for selfish
greed at the expense
of gentle people who live
without pretense to give to
family and friends
and spend more than their fair share
for assessed taxes.
[Kate]
Kevin, a hunter? Truly?
Who would have thought such a feat
would greet such as him
to dim his soul’s gentleness
to wrest blood and guts
from innocent lives who strive
just to be free til old age
decrees their exit
to benefit the unborn
who need space to see
what lessons they need, to be
better enlightened spirits
who will contribute
to our evolution.
Who field dressed the prey?
[Donald]
To harvest means to complete
the deed that feeds families.
When you configure
the actions the hunter takes,
pulling the trigger
is the quickest and the least
impressive act that mistakes
marksmanship prowess
for wilderness competence.
As a novice, he
missed his opportunity
to dispense the needed force
that would set the course
for his future endeavor
to sever hunger.
He watched, learned and assisted
others to cover cleaning
and gleaning the meat
from the carcass. The grossness
of all this toil
spoils this activity
for those who oppose hunting.
[Kate]
The supermarket
provides the fullest extent
of my nutrients.
[Kevin]
Too true, but then we’ve buffered
our sensitivity
to the for-sure core
of human reality
that we must exploit
living things that we may live
because organic matter
scatter about Earth
is all, and only, what we
can consume to fuel
the oxidizing furnace
for the gruel that we consume.