I cheerfully refuse
to submit.
I keep my dignity
standing before the wannabe king.
So many people
butting in line
to curtsy and bow
and kiss his fanciful ring.
Now he’s tearing down
the historical East Wing
(after promising not to touch it
but what’s another lie?)
After all
every king needs his ballroom
his gold-plated walls
his gold-plated party plane
the arches and monuments
to glorify his mighty reign.
The child king
sits on his throne
toying with his miniature
soldiers, moving them here and there.
For his birthday he parades them
along with tiny tanks
and rocket launchers,
marching to the beat
of his popmusic playlist
as he sits on his throne
ruefully orchestrating them all
to his every whim.
If only
he was a benevolent wannabe king,
recognizing the humanity
in all people
and seeking what is best
for all, recognizing
all people as one.
Instead,
the big bully
revels in cruelty at every turn
Yet, the telling
does not end here
you see
that little boy
toppling toy soldiers
with a snap of his fingers
cannot see
the humanity in the living
perhaps
he is unconsciously
grasping for the love
withheld. Deprived
of the basic human need
for affection. He is
merely trying to please his father
to seize the power
he believes to be his birthright
How did it come to this? This
ruthless wanting. This
disdain. This
contempt for the world.
What horrors did the child endure
to engrave this deep-seeded fear?
What excruciating pain
to turn the heart to stone?
Grieving, my heart
goes out to him
Yet again, this tragedy
of brokenness
does not change the reality
of the needless suffering caused
by the inability to feel love,
to feel compassion
I awake one morning to find
a painting of words displayed
beside the hospital bed where I lay
(from Callie the CNA)
“In a profusion of ailing souls,
Rebellion comes hard. But for a man
struck with an oppressive illness but
whose fight refuses to fade, it comes
like FIRE. Final Summation:
Decimate Apathy: Rage On”
Rage rises within me
transformed
in this new day
holding onto love
my heart on fire
despite the fear
the broken child brings
Instead, sowing
seeds of healing
I cheerfully refuse
to dehumanize,
I cheerfully
refuse to hate
yes, yes, yes and
fiercely compassionate
Standing against injustice
Standing in nonviolent dignity
rising up, like a bear
in love with the world
(“I Cheerfully Refuse” is the title of a novel by Leif Enger)
Junction of Beauty and Love 