Let us not forget a different kind of accumulation. Serious war propaganda has been ubiquitous in this country since WWI. For 200 years, we’ve had misleading monuments, slanted textbooks, nullifying newsreels, ooh-ra movies, sexual terrorism, heightened hatreds, family indoctrination, co-opted athletics, peer pressure. We ‘had limiting definitions of patriotism, business, sexuality, masculinity, femininity, personhood, pride.
War mania misshapes what is best in us.
We’ve been driven away from our deepest and most potent emotions and sensibilities.
We’ve been led in self-annihilating directions.
And, while all of that transmuted violence assaults us from the outside, it ends up twisting around and manifesting from the inside out.
We are hosts now. War is in us. How do we get it out?
In the streets of my town
I felt unsettled
In the trees of my town
I felt unsettled
In the alleys of my town
I felt unsettled
In doorways, walkways and breezeways
I felt unsettled
In my yard, the neighbor’s yard and the town square
I was unsettled, jittery and glower-browed
In a charming park
On an earth-colored bench
I thought only of pissing on lamp-posts
and knocking them over with piss-force
or my head
A man sang softly to himself beside me
I almost had to sock him and ran away
I went to another town
walked another street with
other birds and other people
I visited the town square looked at statues of war heroes looked at the muskets and the moustaches of death-maker so-and-so and death-maker so-and-so #WeAreRancor Click To Tweet
and socked’em right in the mouth.
My knuckle-bones exposed and
seething in crimson
on a granite step
with my hand folded over
I tore apart every voice inside myself
Until every voice outside myself
was torn apart
If you appreciated this article and believe in empowering truly independent journalists who can discuss these weighty issues that splinter society and expose the organized lies of conventional wisdom, consider contributing on my behalf and empowering my work.
As discussed in our statement of purpose, we are determined to reclaim journalism from the clutches of corporatism. As such, we are driven and powered solely by the kindness and support of our readers. 100% of the proceeds of contributions to the author that is found at the bottom of each article will go to the writer of the article. Click on the button above to make a contribution as you are able. Thank you for your continued support.
Stephen Boni
