Once upon a time in my life, I penned poetry. It wasn’t necessarily great poetry, but it was a way to work out my thoughts without journaling them or writing them to a friend in a letter (back when people wrote letters). I found this poem today while looking for something else, and it struck me how nearly 30 years later most of it still rings true. This was written on the day the officers were acquitted in the Rodney King trial, April 29, 1992. I was 24.
Spontaneous Notes on a “Free Country”
A black man is beaten senseless abused beyond reasonable force by white law officers A female with an unwanted pregnancy must get a man's permission to make choices about her own body A homosexual couple must hide their love to avoid discrimination and hatred The rich get richer The poor get poorer The cost of living goes up No doesn't really mean no Medical costs are outrageous I could go on and on eternally and I'd like to send a message but it's apparent no one is listening in the Land of the free and the Home of the dominant white male
Live Now and Zen 