Join us every Monday night for drinks at the Daily Kos community political poetry club
Your own poetry is always welcome in the comments
Bongos, berets & turtle neck sweaters optional
The keypad is mightier than the sword
More from me again this week.
Pain is driving my brain to write.
Peace
CJ
The Myth of Information
(There is no more information now than there was
one million years ago.
Our ability to access has grown, that's all.)
We are told that information is growing
At an exponential pace with all the
Side effects entailed therein. This
Nonsense is a marketing ploy foisted on
The gullible by slick hucksters
With hidden motives to sell unnecessary
Garbage in the guise of information products
Or “connectivity” when there really is
No need to tell a casual acquaintance that
Tonight you are going to make pasta
The only people who benefit from this
Lemming over-a-cliff behavior are the
Corporations who now have access to
The most intimate communications
Of an interpersonal and private nature
They know when these are made where
When, how. Not interested in content. Yet.
For now, simply by being able to locate
They achieve their aim of silent control
Please think before you connect
© CJ Campbell September 2012
The Lady and the Big Dog
For Michelle and Bill
From Shakespeare's The Tempest
Miranda (mortal):
O, wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,
That has such people in't!
To be privileged to hear the words
Of our articulate world-loved first lady
Makes the day seem a little easier to take
When the promises match the hopes in your
Heart
To then hear the former Bubba lay bare and
Strip to the bone the scurrilous and lying
Opposition in one of the great speeches. One
That will be remembered for many years
More
On the right, the pundits and fact checkers
Scurry about making up nonsense in reply.
On the left, very little has to be said in answer
Our heroes have spoken for us, we bask in their
Glory
© CJ Campbell September 2012
American Allegory
The ancient reptilians sink back into the primal ooze
Only slitted eyes watch these new life forms prance
Atop the planet once their exclusive domain now given
To loud argumentative intelligence, in raucous dance
Making light in word and deed of those less able to
Join their complicated games. Thus creating deep
Division between the clans of earth even as they preach
Togetherness and love the lowly lizards weep
They do not understand! What game is this? What
is this love? We grok food, sleep, shelter little more
Is there a full belly in a hug? Is there rest in a smile?
The brainy new-comers answer “We are never sure”
And the mammals hold their meeting full of hope
And joyful speeches for a future of great schemes
Led by men and women of vision, piercing through
To a tomorrow where the children can dream dreams
© CJ Campbell September 2012
Born to Be a Fact Checker
At the age of 6 I ask my father
For a calculator for my birthday
Even though I could only count
To 7, and with help from my mom
Quickly I learned that 3 plus 2 equals
4 and through 10 years of school
No-one ever changed my mind with
Their arithmetic, algebra, calculus and
Higher mathematics. So when it came
To college, logic was a breeze. I enrolled
In the Podunk College of Factchecking
In Upper Dontbotherwithtruth, AL
I was awarded my degree in less than
A year and became the guardian of all
Political statements made by hopeful
Candidates and representatives who
Run for office in America with claims
Unsubstantiated until my razor sharp
Intellect and ability to punch the search
Key on my laptop high speed computer
Checks Wikipedia at least twice each day.
© CJ Campbell September 2012
Disturbance in Universe Thirteenoughtzed
A ripple of sighs speeds across our darkness
Upset by the nonsense from one small blue ball
Tucked away in a corner we monitors have never
Need before to pay attention nor to pay a call
To the creatures living on the surface. Those who
Think they are in control of this planet's destiny
By using resources at the rate of many times their
Needs in accumulation and the greedy tyranny
Of substituting objects for life. Thus a primal
Animal scream was sent out by those who try
To wrest control back into the hands of madmen
Killers and misogynigists. We must act. The High
Counsel here on Planet 11 today decrees
“You insignificant life forms on Gaia
Have less than one solar century to solve
Your problems with each other. Dire
Consequences will otherwise ensue.
But wait, an earthling comes to the fore
Wise beyond his years, ready to lead
With a message of hope for evermore”
And The Galactic Counsel President gavels
Another meeting to a successful conclusion
© CJ Campbell September 2012
O My Father
This was the first page in my book of signatures
when I was about 12. The book was black leather bound
and 6”x 3” with soft cream linen pages bound in with
ribbon. I collected autographs from teachers, politicians,
musicians, artists (my family knew many), and people
I simply found interesting. I wonder where that little book
is today and what it might want to tell me? So here's Dad's
admonition to me, one I have always attempted to keep:
We often speak poorly of others
And thus into error may fall
Now let us speak well of each other
Or if not say nothing at all
D C Campbell Circa 1956
Decision
(Before going under the
knife on my head)
Me or not to be
A cut to see
If life goes on apace
In sound and space
And wondrous light
From stars at night
Or will these eyes be
blinded? Be confined
To a hollow dark
Six sided prison in
My head, alone with
My thoughts
Worse has happened
Life was ever a test
Who pays these judges?
I wonder
© CJ Campbell Monday 5:55am September 10, 2012