Not so much
a hierarchy of classes
as one of castes here:
Greenback Caste,
Faint Hope To Prosper Caste,
Edgewalker Caste,
Underwater But Bobbing Up Now And Then Caste,
Bottomed Out Caste;
solid, none too porous,
none devoid of nuance,
each with special provisions
for how you or your parents looked,
how you live and love,
how you are what you are;
not splintering, not
softening, not becoming
more pleasant.
Easy enough now
to move
down the ladder.
Harder than ever
to climb it.
Nothing
this vertical can stand
intact forever —
it cannot stand
but it will take more
than talk
and lightly scuffed skin
to tear it down.
It cannot stand,
and when it comes down
it will come down hard,
stone from the sky
falling in fire, wailing
a storm behind,
splashing everything
with ruin
right down
to the last greenback
and marble arch.
The Pyramids remind us
that even with massive slave-built bases
that made them strong,
that even while stripped and roughed
they remain impressive to this day,
after all is said and done
they are today
just empty tombs
for men who long ago
turned to dust.
June 24th, 2016 at 6:52 am
A nice dream…perhaps someone else’s duty, in the future. I’d settle for some actual treaty recognition and greater sovereignty, considering, but I’m not likely to see it in my lifetime.
June 14th, 2016 at 1:39 pm
It is coming down. Empire does not work!
June 24th, 2016 at 5:30 am
No. No, it does not.
June 24th, 2016 at 5:31 am
Take care my friend!
June 24th, 2016 at 5:35 am
Trying. It’s scary times here…and I imagine it’s scary there too after last night’s vote…
June 24th, 2016 at 5:52 am
Some are having a harder time with the Brexit than others. The Brits here are really stung and all of my friends in the UK are as well…
If necessary, Canada isn’t far for you to go and I have fond memories and numerous relatives there! There are worse places you could go.
June 24th, 2016 at 5:56 am
Nah. If shit happens, there’s a war to be fought here and I’ll stay and fight it.
June 24th, 2016 at 6:09 am
You may have to choose your war. Keep writing and be the voice of reason… Bonne chance!
June 24th, 2016 at 6:23 am
Well…we take the fight that comes to us. But I’ll fight it my way.
Besides…where’s a Native supposed to go to get away from America? Can’t go back to the homeland, after all…we’re already here.
June 24th, 2016 at 6:34 am
Perhaps you could take back the homeland? It would certainly be in better hands!