In The Crosshairs

Everywhere they instruct you on who to hate. 

Believe it!  It’s our government!  It’s for your own good!


Fingers point as hate battles your thoughts.

Brown people, Moslems, Jews are taking your rights away!


Queer people, Mexicans, Liberals are stealing your jobs!

Sick people, immigrants, the poor are eating your food!

Journalists who tell real news, women who expect

autonomy over their body parts – hate hate hate!


They can’t stop vomiting up their hatred all over you.

Fear and loathing grin from every corner.


Then they plant assault rifles in your town, crowing

“You Second Amendment people can take care of this”

and “I could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and still…”


Suddenly people are wearing bold red targets

on their heads as ravenous hate bathes roads, ditches,

schools and churches in easy greasy red.


There are crosshairs looking for you next.


J. Pratt-Walter, © 2019

Overdose

       In this land

we are starving

for peace

In this land

we eat fear

hate

violence

oppression

Please

America

let this banquet

end

Clear the table

of gluttony

and hate

      Let this overdose

of injustice

die

        J. Pratt-Walter, (c) 2019
      

ECLIPSE

Eclipse

the hate out of our

collective hearts,

Moon.

We are waiting, shimmering

in the crescent shadows

of hope.

We are in a profound

totality

where sadness and fear are

living shadows

in the spirits of the people

so invisible there is no map

to shield them.

Grant the ones fainting

on the margins of

your town, your

nation,

the promise of being seen

before the roiling darkness

unmeasures

the light behind their

biding eyes.

J. Pratt-Walter,  8/2017