Land of the Tree and the Home of the Knave

 

Here's to the State of Mississippi

For within its borders, evil draws no lines,

By researching its bloody history, countless atrocities you’ll find.

For the Confederacy still holds sway here; treason is heritage and bigotry is fine,

The calendar is lyin' when it reads the present time.

Whoa here's to every citizen you've poisoned the heart of,

Confederates find yourselves another country to be part of!

And here's to voters in Mississippi

They say liberals and centrists, don't begin to understand

While they tremble in subservience to Confederates, Neo-Nazis, and the Klan

Neither tears nor sweat can wash away the blood that stains their hands

They smile and shrug their shoulders at the cruelty of a man

So, here's to every citizen you've poisoned the heart of,

Confederates find yourselves another country to be part of!

And here's to the apologists and publicists for Mississippi

While they're prattling and preaching to Mississippians that they don't have to care

Stoking resentments and hatreds among people everywhere

And every program or policy is derived from hatefulness and despair

There's not one among them who champions equality for all anytime or anywhere

Whoa here's to every citizen you've poisoned the heart of,

Confederates find yourselves another country to be part of!

And here's to politicians in Mississippi

The spewing of bigotry and racism has resumed with a roar

Biases are blinding them to justice as they praise the days of yore

As they spin out rationales for going back to how things were before

Behind their smiles and platitudes lurk injustices by the score

Oh, here's to every citizen you've poisoned the heart of,

Confederates find yourselves another country to be part of!

And, here's to Judges in Mississippi

Who wear robes of honor as they slither into the court

They staunchly guard all bastions of the Confederacy they support

And justice is a stranger to those with whom they all consort

Minority and women’s rights to these rogues in robes always come up short

Whoa here's to every citizen you've poisoned the heart of,

Confederates find yourselves another country to be part of!

And here's to officials in Mississippi

In the swamp of their hypocrisy, justice loses round after round

And criminals are posing as law enforcement in many towns

And they hope that no one sees the sights, and no one hears the sounds

And the speeches of senators and the governor and are the ravings of clowns

Oh, here's to the democracy you've torn out the heart of

Confederates find yourselves another country to be part of!

And here's to laws in Mississippi

Congress Members condone a Confederate winning the day

While the Constitution is drowning in an ocean of decay

Liberal student voters should be blocked, I've clearly heard them say

Yes, corruption can be classic in the Confederate way

Oh, here's to the civic life you've poisoned the heart of

Confederates find yourselves another country to be part of!

And here's to the preachers in Mississippi

Once doing unto others was proclaimed to be the way

But now patriotic blue has been switched to treasonous gray

And the Good Samaritan has been thrown into the dust

Heaven only knows what sort of God Confederates trust

Oh, here's to the citizens you've poisoned the heart of

Confederates find yourselves another country to be part of!

Note: this poem is an adaptation of the Phil Ochs song: https://youtu.be/WU3o9Tl7zTk

Photo Credits:
https://www.nhregister.com/news/us/article/The-Latest-Signs-with-nooses-refer-to-13422671.php

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/democrat-could-swipe-senate-seat-125222095.html

https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/181120173410-01-cindy-hyde-smith-confederate-artifacts-super-tease.jpg

Thoughtful Thankfulness

On the fourth Thursday of November,

If tradition wins the day,

Many loved ones get together

To express gratitude in a special way.

With any luck, we are loved, not lonely;

We have some who are dear and near.

Before the feast lays upon the table

Let us try to see beyond the mirror.

Of course, we are grateful for family and friends

And all the goodness in our life,

Be we should also seriously consider

That these benefits came from strife.

America has been called the land of opportunity

For millions, this description has rung true

But, not so for countless of our compatriots

So, we as a society, have a great deal to do.

We should be thankful for judicial independence

And the right to organize, publish and protest

For these features of our heritage

Allow us to continue with America’s quest.

While words of gratitude are welcome

Works make that thankfulness real

For to our better and bravest Angels

Deeds make the highest and best appeal.

Although our times are severely troubled

This November we made strides toward a new start

Let us continue on this path confidently

For honor blooms in the cockles of every grateful heart.

We hold these truths to be self-evident:

That all are born free and equal

Now, by our lives, fortunes, and personal honor,

11-9-2016’s catastrophe shall not have a sequel!

Larry Conley

22 November 2018

Photo Credit: https://www.slideshare.net/monsterww/10-inspirational-veterans-quotes/11-As_we_express_our_gratitude

Remembrance Day

On the 11^th of November,

Near the midpoint of the Fall

Let us pause and remember

All who served gave some,

And some who served gave all.

If we can read news and opinions,

In a free and independent press,

The bravest and best journalists

Will be quick to tell us,

It is the veterans we must bless.

If we speak out and share opinions

And feel this is our right,

It is not the poets, but the warriors

Who ensured we could do this,

By winning many a fearsome fight.

If we are willing to come together,

To demonstrate for what we think is true

It is the veteran, not the activist,

Who gives us the precious chance,

To do what we need to do.

If we can pray upon the Sabbath,

 And worship as we see fit.

It is  the veterans, not the clergy,

Who bore the brunt of the battle,

So our creed could be as we wish it!

When we challenge the boundaries

Of society’s behavioral and legal rules,

It was the veteran, not the lawyer,

Who ensured that we aren’t prosecuted,

In Kangaroo Courts by knaves and fools.

If we participate in politics and elections,

And strive for outcomes we think best,

It is the veteran, not the demagogue

Who secured our right,

To state our choice in this ongoing civic quest!

If we celebrate this holiday

And listen to speeches and cheer for a band

The veterans' valor, not the orators' words

Give us a reason for joy and hope

In neighborhoods, and homes throughout the land

On the 11th of November,

When we gaze at the unfurled flag

Let us pause and remember

For those who served and died in its service,

It is a standard, not a rag!

Larry Conley

11 November 2018

Photo Credit: https://www.theinitiative.vet/donate-to-the-initiative-usa/

Blue the Vote!

Tomorrow is election day

The time has passed to fuss and fight

Though millions may do wrong

We are not exempt from doing right

Candidates lie without pause or shame

They’re mocking, slanderous, and malign

 The Klan rides again without the sheets

Principled patriots must now rise and shine

The children all of us hold dear

Their futures we must save from greed

If fear and hate win out

We will fail them in their time of need

This election is far from routine

What’s at stake is America’s heart  

If we listen to our better angels,

We will vote for a fresh, new start

Whether it takes a minute or an hour

Doing what’s right has real power

So, once you are inside that booth

Cast your vote bravely do not cower!

Tomorrow’s chance may be our last,

At least this much I’m sure is true

The country fate is on the ballot

And it is up to me and up to you!

Photo Credit: http://voteblue.blogspot.com/