show them the money in poetry

Every other prejudice in the world
comes down to an attempt to justify
why it’s okay
for some people
to be powerless and poor.
But it is not okay.
For ANYONE.
For anyone ever.

Being powerless and poor
is not okay for anyone ever.

Whether the prejudices had existed
or were created in whole cloth
by those who already owned too much stuff
these hates are cultivated and fed
curated and bred
to function as a vast overlapping web
of reasons why it is supposedly okay
for some people to be powerless and poor
and so indirectly
and so ultimately
and so essentially
and so eventually
and so intentionally

why it is conversely
why it is perversely
supposedly okay
for a few people to have
so much more than they could ever need.
While others can’t eat.
While others can’t read.
But live long enough and you’re going to see
being powerless and poor
is not okay for anyone ever.

It’s the only real conspiracy
throughout human history
it’s why there are kings and hoarders and priests
it’s why there’s religion and borders and war
most of us must have the least
if a few are to collate disgustingly more
they must fabricate reasons
why it’s okay to powerless
okay to be poor.

But being powerless and poor
is not okay for anyone ever.

One day they’ll say it’s the gay.
The Irish, Muslims or the Roma.
Or the descendants of Africans.
The eggheads or the sickly.
The Oneida Hopi Cherokee.
They’ll never quite say you or me.
Though we’ll always fit at least one category.
In penthouses at fountainheads
in mega-church and castle keep
somewhere someone’s laughing.

But being powerless and poor
is not okay for anyone ever.

Somewhere in their Rolodex
there’s an excuse for every faith
each ethnicity and philosophy
every gender age and sex
for why that arbitrary group
it’s okay for them
to have less.

And every time we need to be distracted again
every time there’s a profit in this kind of pretend
every time there’s a chance things might even out
they spin their little deck of cards again
and tell you who it’s okay to denigrate
this year.

Maybe it’s the Jews this time.
Maybe the transgender.
Maybe women who talk too much.
As arbitrary as if you play a Les Paul
or a Stratocaster Fender.
As long as it keeps us divided
and the entrenched rich
whatever.

But every other prejudice in the world
comes down to an attempt to justify
why it’s okay for some people
to be powerless and poor.

And being powerless and poor
is not okay for anyone ever.

It is not.
It is not.
It is NOT OKAY!
It is not okay.
Ever.

Last updated February 06, 2015