Sunday, March 13, 2016

Bukowski and Trump


I understand the mechanics of the American political process and system very well. My degree from the University of Wisconsin was in Political Science. So I understand the nomination process currently being undertaken by both the Republicans and Democrats involves a very small number of registered party members and that the actual numbers of Trump's support are spread actually very thin across the Republican Party....Still...
What concerns me most is the continuing rise and utter bile of such lowest common denominator tripe that Trump puts forth. No actual policy just repeated utterances that mirror the ugliness of the man, his bigotry, racism, and fear mongering.
 Charles Bukowski wrote this poem about America decades ago. It seems to be breathing and heaving more full of life today...

Putrefaction

of late
I've had this thought
that this country
has gone backwards
4 or 5 decades
and that all the
social advancement
the good feeling of
person toward
person
has been washed away
and replaced by
old
bigotries

we have
more than ever
the selfish wants of power
the disregard for the
weak
the old
the impoverished
the
helpless

we are replacing want with
war
salvation with
slavery

we have wasted the
gains

we have become
rapidly
less

we have our Bomb
it is our fear
our damnation
and our
shame

now
something so sad
has hold of us
that
the breath
leaves
and we can't even
cry.
Charles Bukowski