I don’t know about you, but the current freak show that the US presidential race* has become has left me despairing and embarrassed–especially the GOP. I mean, come on, where is the decorum? The civility? Or even accurate information? And the real issues that affect average people’s lives are the ones they bicker over while chipping away at what we need to solve them. While Rome burns (and classrooms get shot up), they fiddle away, sawing at the strings of their egos with the backbone of the American taxpayer.
And where the hell is all this money coming from? America is still broke, right? Oh wait, that’s just you, me, and the Treasury. These people* have enough money that they will never know what it’s like to have just enough, no matter how bad the economy gets. I just don’t get how people sitting on b/millions of dollars (their own or their campaign’s) can stand there and pretend they know what it’s like to be you or me. Or what we even care about anymore. It’s no wonder so many Americans just check out of civic engagement forever. It’s like trying to get in a reasonable word at a drunken brawl.
It’s enough to give you writer’s block.
Creative Commons.
But then along comes a flash of an image that sums it all up for you: Baby spider plants.
That’s right. Baby spider plants. People who grow these plants like to share the little ones that sprout on the end of vines, like a neighbor of mine recently did. I thought, How nice. Then I thought of the refugees streaming into Europe and how some people will just go out to greet them with food and clothes and baby strollers and blankets. People like to share.
But some people like to share things that aren’t so helpful.* So here’s a poem about that. * but not Bernie Sanders. Go Bernie!
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American Politics 2015
Hi everyone,
I have a bunch of baby spider plants
that could use a home.
The weather should be nice this weekend
if you want to come by and pick some up.
Let me know.
–friendly neighbor on social media site
Hi everyone,
I have a bunch of rumors to propagate
that could use a mill.
The weather should be nice this weekend
if you want to come by and listen up.
Let me know.
***
Hi everyone,
I have a bunch of baseless fears and rants
that could use an ear.
The weather should be nice this weekend
if you want to come by and fan the flames.
Let me know.
***
Hi everyone,
I have a bunch of pointless rambling thoughts
that could use a stage.
The weather should be nice this weekend
if you want to come by and write the speech.
Let me know.
***
Hi everyone,
I have a bunch of shabby alibis
that could use a fix.
The weather should be nice this weekend
if you want to come by and help me edit.
Let me know.
***
Hi everyone,
I have a slick lay-away plan
that could free your soul.
The weather should be nice this weekend
if you want to come by and pay it down.
Let me know.
***
Hi everyone,
I have a bunch of old debts to settle
that could use relief.
The weather should be nice this weekend
if you want to come by and pony up.
Let me know.
***
Hi everyone,
I have a bunch of seething bigotries
that could use a boost.
The weather should be nice this weekend
if you want to tune in and revolt.
Let me know.
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That’s my take so far. Extra points if you can match the candidate with the message!O.O
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Photo notes: Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled GNU Free Documentation License. Photographer listed as “myself.” From Wikipedia.
