Poetry on current issues from Devona Wyant. Wait; is it historic?
(Soldiers involved in the Desert Rock training exercise watching the mushroom cloud from the Dog detonation, Operation Buster-Jangle; Coporal Alexander McCaughey, U.S. Army Photographic Signal Corps) (Illustration added here)
Dialogue in the early years of the Dark Ages
“Old woman, are you awake? Tell my friend here
about the past like you told me. He don’t believe me.”“What would you like to hear?
About the old forests that stretched for miles?
The wetlands that filtered and gave shelter?
The hundreds of species now lost?
Would you believe we once played outside
without sun block, without protective clothing?
Maybe you want to hear about what it was like
when you could worship as you believed or
not worship at all, without fear, without hiding,
without losing status, without losing your job.
I remember a time when you didn’t need papers
to travel, when you didn’t have your mail read.
I remember when your neighbors didn’t turn
you in if you said you hated a government policy.
I remember when you could gather to protest,
when you could speak out, write letters to the papers.
I remember when there were three classes, not
just the haves and have nots.
I remember when the very poor could
get help if they were very sick or if they were hungry.
I remember when we were considered a beacon of hope,
when we protected those who were oppressed.
I remember when every one could vote and each
vote was counted and mattered.
I even remember when people didn’t live in fear.”“Are you putting me on Man? She lies! If all those
things were true, why are the old ones the only ones who know?
why isn’t it in the history books?”“Young man, wait. I’ll be moving on soon or I may just
disappear as so many have. If you never see me again,
remember this at least.
Those who rule, not only make history, they invent it.”Devona Wyant
Hey, it’s still National Poetry Month. How are you celebrating? What poems are you reading?
An old woman who tells stories. Photo by the Library of Congress. (Main Reading Room)
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 
No small number of the items in that list never were. Religious bigots and John Birch Society types have been with us as long as religions and nations have. It was only recently that anyone could vote and the Republicans are busily trying to put a stop to that. If the poor could ever count on help, I’d like to know when that was.
And ask anyone in Latin America, Iran, the Congo or any of several other countries if the USA has ever protected the oppressed.
Be skeptical any time someone tells you about the good old days.
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Great poem! Very topical, and lyrically written.
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