See you soon

 

I traveled into Brownsville today

Because there's nothing that makes me happier

Than traveling on the open road.

By “open road” I mean,

Traveling in a way by which

What matters is the journey,

Rather than the destination.

I hopped a bus at Brooklyn and St John's,

Took it East, past Utica, past Weeksville,

Until I could hear the police car siren

And see ”the lost” homeless walking on the streets.

I hopped off when I'd arrived

In a place unknown,

Found a sidewalk somewhere

And wrote this on my phone.

It feels to me that often

We judge what we don't know

By what we hear/read/see on the news

Or pick up in the Rumor Mills,

And ain't that SILLY,

Ain't that a shame, a sham,

A silly sham shame -

As much as or worse (!)

Than when we say

“Stealing is a crime”;

Then arrest the poor and hungry.

Meanwhile the fat, fit, smart, rich

Steal wages, steal time, steal land, steal attention

And no one judges them “GUILTY”

NO ONE even charges them with a crime.

They're thought to be in cahoots with the courts

But they don't even have to bribe.

The whole culture, the game

It's all tilted to their side,

Propped up in their favor.

Privilege is a bitch of a parental perogative.

Ah, oui.

Whatever.

(derisively spits)

…

(takes a moment to breathe, to think)

Learn, child, learn.

The world is wired weird,

And I the crazy fool

Have little to show

But what I see when I trip/travel/go.

Go Dog Go:

Simple book.

Brownsville is brown,

But also I see blue

And red and white and grey and green -

Faded green maybe, and some things were

White but now dirtied are grey,

Colorful all the same!

The privilege of quiet and community

is Here, as much as anywhere.

It's what you make of it,

And what you see.

Capitalism's a myth

That's worked pretty well,

But some people (who are people still)

It has mostly served to sell

As only one thing or another.

(Do I do that too?)

Here's my bottom line:

Humanity is diverse.

Don't judge!

Learn.

Help the people

(That includes yourself).

Celebrate others’ successes.

Don't weasel your way to the top.

Play games fair,

And take turns making the rules.

My time (as a privileged middle-aged white male)

Is almost up!

Make way! Make way!

M----, it's time you knew

The village of Monde-nous

Is all we…….

(muffled tears)

Did I mention it's a cloudy day?

Tomorrow maybe the weather is better.

See you soon,