Anti-social

The grocery store didn’t have my beer, 

not because it is good beer, 

it is cheap beer, 

the cheapest I can find, 

when I take it to a party, 

I know it will be mine alone to drink, 

I only have to hear comments like, 

“hey, who is the dumb shit who brought this.” 

being 6’ 4” and a biscuit or two under 400 lbs,

I usually don’t get much shit about it though, 

only had to have one fight, 

and made sure I broke a bone, 

broke the guy’s leg,

after that,

 there weren’t lots of complaints about the beer I brought, 

if something was or is said, 

by someone new,

they are usually warned,

“Hey that crazy fucker, broke a guy’s leg once, better be careful.”

Ethan’s Reality

Mumbling to faces unseen,

or at least seen only by him,

co-existing in two worlds,

the confusion as much mine as his,

How can he keep it all straight?

Keep the two worlds apart?

How can I?

I would prefer he remain fully and completely in the world I see,

the world I know,

how does one compete with the unseen?

with the imagined?

I am finding it difficult beyond belief,

and seem left to dream about what could be,

while praying about what is,

Ethan’s Reality.

Political Discourse in the 21st Century

intense the faces,

contorted and twisted,

as if the gates of hell pulled down, 

and the demons released, 

rage, 

uncontrolled and knowing no bounds,

Spittle and words assault the air,  

hoping to inflict wounds, 

and demoralize the opponent,

the tension and emotion builds upon itself, 

until collapsing under the weight, 

the point won, 

the contest conceded, 

yet the faces remain, 

twisted and contorted, 

while victory and defeat celebrated simultaneously.

April

April cruel, 

showing us how things could be, 

but rarely ever are, 

full of sunshine, 

romance, 

and aching hearts, 

The month’s temperament honored with a day for fools, 

people naïve enough to trust in April, 

and new beginnings, 

April’s fools,

Romantics or only idiots,

not sure which, 

the actual case,

April a witch, 

with spells and enchantments, 

not to be trusted, 

wicked, 

playing with emotions, 

and even the weather,

After a winter, 

so very long, 

and cold,

manipulating and encouraging fools to hope for love and sunshine, 

with momentary glimpses of both,

too fleeting to be real, 

only tricks, 

the wicked, 

wicked witch,

betting on our better nature, 

secure and arrogantly aware,

cruel the knowledge, 

we are all April’s fools, 

at one time or another.

Presidential Politics

The president, 

no more than a politician of the lowest form,

Look at the history of the office, 

similar to the history of the Papacy, 

not something to be proud of,

But now the president seen more like a Saturday morning action figure, 

than politician, 

No job, 

no money,

Unhappy,

just ask the president he will fix it,

Seen through presidential eyes,

the mirror reflects military heroes,

or saviors of the poor and downtrodden,

The mirror lies,

He is just a politician, 

not doing anything that we couldn’t do for ourselves, 

if we were not too frightened,

or maybe just too lazy to try, 

His wisdom and intellect no more or no less than the average man, 

only built up on paper by manipulations employed to deceive,

more like the wizard, 

in the movie Oz, 

Behind the scenes he is just a little man, 

more than a little confused and scared.

© Douglas Polk

Bio: Polk is a writer of poetry from central Nebraska. Feeling persecuted most of his life he has published three books of poetry: In My Defense, The Defense Rests, and On Appeal. He lives with his wife and two boys and two dogs on the plains of Nebraska.