So What Do You Think?

There use to be a time
when I was of a mind
to cast my influence
into the raging river
of public opinion

Such was my hubris
in powers of persuasion
with logical arguments
as the primary weapon
in my word arsenal

It did not take long
to realize this core premise
was flawed

Penetrating locked in minds
requires more than a quick wit
or clever repartee

People don't wanna budge
out of their comfortable
entrenched positions

So after many years
of banging my hard head
against inflexible walls
I finally saw the fallacy
of pointless debates

Now I let friends and foes alike
rant their pet philosophies unopposed

Biting my heavily scarred tongue
for the sake of keeping the peace

Consumerism Prison

Pay the infomercial man
as best you can

Tis well worth the price
to upgrade your bland life
with the latest hi tech gadgetry
that will eventually be
as obsolete as you

and your insecure

brand of humanity

Lose Lose Scenario

In this cynical
political environment
the numb electorate
no longer gives a flying fuck
about candidate morality

Ethics and politics
when the two are mixed
beget the ultimate oxymoron

Crooked is an accepted prerequisite

Embedded lies infect broken promises

The only ideology
is whatever brings victory  
with pre packaged homilies
designed to herd lazy ass consumers
to look up from their hand held devices
and march to the voting booth  

Long ago focus group wizards decreed
fear is the optimum way to succeed

When your product is not moving
demonize the other guy

The more grandiose the lie  
the best chance to grab
the market's fleeting attention

Media outlets you can buy
to do your bidding
with costly
but efficient negative ads

So as we begin
the serious phase
of the political cycle

Prepare for the shit to fly
like a monsoon from the sky

In this corner
the demagogue incompetent
dispensing fear and hate
from his crass reality show plate

Up against
the bought and paid for
ultimate insider

Her lips chapped
from excessive suckling
at the currency teat
of special interests 

At the end of this crooked road
those still with the stomach to vote
will have a poisonous choice to make

The viper or the snake

and then take a long shower afterward
to wash away the shame

Footprints In The Sand

As the the revolution unpeels 

Ugly truths are revealed

Former friends choose to repent
as they are led in chains
to the televised guillotine event

Welcome to disillusionment
as disingenuous corporate demons
clad in smug victory
hold out their slimy hands

"Join our lesser of two evils crusade"
they hiss cynically
to the numb prisoners
who really never had a chance
fighting armed only with idealism
against such an institutionally stacked deck

Comfortably Snug

At this point in time
tis way too late for me to be
anything other than I am

This truth affords me the luxury
of no longer having to give a damn
about living up to expectations
I never really embraced
in the first place

Once these dreams have been spent
it's time to go about
existing comfortably content

Slow it down

Pour a glass of wine

Find that perfect sunset

and settle in for the duration

Skipping The Slant

The lynch them first
ask questions later
flash mob
of micro public opinion
are polluting the stream
of social media consciousness again
with their unrelenting riled up ferocity

Quickly jumping to conclusions
that conveniently fit
an agenda ridden narrative

Their numbers swell rapidly
as hatred reposts virally
getting reported internationally
as contrived speculations
eventually mutate
into perceived fact

Til the value of truth itself
is reduced to a disposable commodity

Sold to the pliable masses
as fast cooked
easily digested
blended reality

Turning Point Dead Ahead

The cancer of hate
can not be erased
til all the healthy cells
who comprise the majority
band together
to eradicate the disease

In the end
the silent blue wall
must fall
and the good cops
gotta drive out
their murderous brethren

The cancer of hate
will never abate
til the millions of healthy cells
finally use their untapped strength
to obliterate their destructive elements

Only when good Muslims
stand together and fight
will the extremist terrorist minority
be driven into the sea

but for now

let us not allow

these rotten apples

to turn us bitter

against the suppressed forces of good

who silently abhor

the bloody stains on their names

Nest Break

So now you say defiantly
you wanna be free

Take full responsibility
for your life's course

Choking on my repressions you say?

These rules I lay cramp your style?

Fine and dandy

Cut loose you shall be

Just don't come crying to me

when you fall victim to enemies

from outside and within

Maybe then you will finally see

the need for the umbrella of security

our hard structure provides

Maybe then

when all your precious freedoms

come under attack

you'll wanna come back

to the secure prison

you seek to flee

to start your own

tenuous country

You'll be back

my wee eaglets