Monday's Poetry: "Our Reality"

 

by Pa Rock

Poetry Appreciator

I came across the following short poem buried in one of several news sites that flow into my email account each day.  It appeared to have originally been posted as a "tweet," and the the attribution was to a person calling herself "JoJo from Jerz."  The poem, as presented at that news site, had no title, so I created one based on what I regarded as one of its best and most revealing lines.

In this very brief piece the poet does a stunning job of describing the havoc that our out-of-control gun culture has brought to the streets of America and to the lives of the people who struggle to survive in the madness.   As you will note, her chronicle of the outrages are up-to-the-minute, and this effort was undoubtedly "triggered" by the recent spate of "stand your ground" shootings which appear to be rooted in racism.

Damn all of the politicians in the United States who willfully turn their their backs on this carnage out of fear of the gun lobby, as well as those who kiss up to the blood-soaked industry for campaign cash!  This is what you have wrought, this is "our reality."

"Our Reality"

by JoJo from Jerz

 

We can’t go to the bank.

Can’t go to work, to the grocery store, to the

airport, to our places of worship, to a farmer’s

market, a concert, a nightclub, a dance hall, a

movie or a doctor’s office.

Our kids can’t go to a parade, the mall or to

school.

You can’t ring the wrong doorbell, pull down the 

wrong driveway, or accidentally hop in the wrong

car, without fear of being shot.

Shot and killed.

In a nation with more guns than people, this has

become our reality.

But it is not normal.

And it sure as shit is not ok.