The Usual News

It was the usual morning news gone cold

at the reading of it. In the glen the heron

 

still marches on bent-pencil legs as below,

cut-throat trout watches, dangerously near,

 

arching her mouth open and closed

with her story on the state of things.

 

The usual news is heard so often our ears

and eyes have gone cold to all the terror:

 

Why guns and bombs get made.

How guns and bombs unmake.

 

J. Pratt-Walter 3/29/2024

Photo by me, Long Beach Peninsula

School Day 2

I was never popular

and no one called me cute

but never did I grab a gun

and then commence to shoot.

 

I didn’t turn to drugs and booze

nor stupefied with dope.

The only help I somehow found

was a secret bowl of hope.

 

J. Pratt-Walter, © 2022

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