Jul
2017
Poetry Friday: Dear Congress
As I watch the news unfold everyday, I am getting to the point I no longer have words to react. I lie in bed at night and wonder if our political leaders ever remember that the decisions they make affect real people. It often seems as if they are just trying to score points or win a game where there are winners and losers, but no one gets hurt.
Dear Congress:
Stop playing around
as if our lives
were no more than tokens
in a game of Monopoly.
When the rich and powerful
buy up Park Place and Boardwalk
and all the Railroads and Utilities,
the rest of us are left
with a Community Chest
that is bankrupt
and Chance cards stacked
against us ordinary players
just trying to pass GO
one more time.
Don’t treat politics
as a game of Monopoly
where the winner takes all
and leaves everyone else bankrupt
because in the game of Life
we all lose
when we forget
we are all
on the
same side.
Each Friday, I am excited to take part in Poetry Friday, where writers share their love of all things poetry. Tabatha has the Poetry Friday Roundup today at The Opposite of Indifference. Stop by and see what poetry morsels are offered this week.
Donna Smith
July 21, 2017 at 7:49 am (7 years ago)We’ve ignored for too many years the fact that we are bankrupt. The games have been played for decades. Unfortunately serious and uncomfortable solutions are required to get us back to where we need to be. It’s not always pretty. Can’t say I always like it. But I can say I love this country.
Donna Smith
July 21, 2017 at 7:52 am (7 years ago)I thought this post looked familiar…
Michelle Kogan
July 20, 2017 at 12:46 am (7 years ago)Wonderful pairing Kay, the state of our politics with a monopoly game and board. I think somehow much of the garbage that is being passed off to the public is going to have a yin/yang affect and change and a rebalancing will come, but slowly.
Mrs. McGriff
July 21, 2017 at 7:40 am (7 years ago)Thank you, Michelle. Like you, I am hopeful that change is coming that will make our country even stronger and better and closer to living up to its ideals.
Bookseedstudio
July 16, 2017 at 12:11 pm (7 years ago)Potent.
Here we are active in supporting good people for the mid-terms.
Such as Gwen Graham for Florida Governor,
Bill Nelson for Senator.
We need other better people in office & I have hope
that this will happen.
In the meantime, so so so many more people do good,
than bad & don’t seek acknowledgement for it. We all
likely practice random acts of kindness, small & not so small.
Love your thoughts, appreciations.
Mrs. McGriff
July 17, 2017 at 9:38 am (7 years ago)The best news coming out of the last election is the number of people getting involved to make a difference. There are so many people doing much good in their communities. Thank you for all you are doing!
Diane Mayr
July 16, 2017 at 8:09 am (7 years ago)I’m with you, Kay! Sometimes the Washington Post alerts on my phone are downright scary. In form and substance. With a spark of illumination it pops up, silently drawing my attention to my phone with its latest evidence of our heading to hell in a handbasket.
Mrs. McGriff
July 16, 2017 at 12:13 pm (7 years ago)My app is the NYT, but I feel the same sense of dread. It’s a relief when it’s just notification of a sports victory or defeat and not more disasters looming over our politics.
Donna Smith
July 16, 2017 at 6:53 am (7 years ago)There are many strategies in playing a game. I believe that as the game winds down, we will see more people winning than we thought. When you are bankrupt, there are always tough decisions.
Love your poem.
Mrs. McGriff
July 16, 2017 at 12:12 pm (7 years ago)Thanks, Donna. I hope you are right in that new strategies will emerge that will allow more of us to win. I do believe we are all in this together and need to work for solutions that help everyone.
Carol Varsalona
July 15, 2017 at 10:38 pm (7 years ago)What a powerful statement, Kay.
Don’t treat politics
as a game of Monopoly
where the winner takes all
and leaves everyone else bankrupt
because in the game of Life
we all lose
when we forget
we are all
on the
same side
Carol Varsalona
July 15, 2017 at 10:29 pm (7 years ago)What a powerful statement, Kay: Don’t treat politics
as a game of Monopoly
where the winner takes all
and leaves everyone else bankrupt
because in the game of Life
we all lose
when we forget
we are all
on the
same side
Mrs. McGriff
July 16, 2017 at 12:10 pm (7 years ago)Thank you, Carol.
Carol
July 15, 2017 at 3:53 pm (7 years ago)This poem, and the current political situation, make me so, so sad! Some big truth here!
Mrs. McGriff
July 16, 2017 at 12:09 pm (7 years ago)Thank you. These issues have been heavy on my mind and heart.
Robyn Hood Black
July 15, 2017 at 11:52 am (7 years ago)Amen, Kay – Unfortunately a very apt metaphor. Thanks for sharing, and we’ll continue on…. Would you believe my anti-spam words are “em richly”?!
Kay McGriff
July 15, 2017 at 2:21 pm (7 years ago)Love that even the antispasmodic words are playing along!
Heidi Mordhorst
July 15, 2017 at 7:45 am (7 years ago)The Monopoly metaphor has never been so obviously pertinent in American history than now. I have to ignore a lot or be angry all the time…You should send this.
Kay McGriff
July 15, 2017 at 10:46 am (7 years ago)I know what you mean. I wonder how my reps would respond to poetry.
Buffy Silverman
July 14, 2017 at 4:22 pm (7 years ago)Unfortunately your Monopoly metaphor works all too well. It is hard to read the news these days…
Mrs. McGriff
July 14, 2017 at 8:08 pm (7 years ago)Too true. I sometimes dread the news app going off.
Rebecca Herzog
July 14, 2017 at 2:18 pm (7 years ago)Love the metaphor–great poem.
Mrs. McGriff
July 14, 2017 at 3:50 pm (7 years ago)Thanks, Rebecca.
Brenda Harsham
July 14, 2017 at 10:53 am (7 years ago)I do think some leaders see us as tokens or board pieces rather than real human beings. I like your poem.
Mrs. McGriff
July 14, 2017 at 3:50 pm (7 years ago)Thank you, Brenda. I’m hoping that leaders with a different perspective will start stepping up and speaking out.
Tabatha
July 14, 2017 at 9:11 am (7 years ago)Touching poem, Kay. “where the winner takes all
and leaves everyone else bankrupt” — I’m trying to stay optimistic that our current course will be reversed.
Mrs. McGriff
July 14, 2017 at 3:49 pm (7 years ago)Thank you, Tabatha. I’m also trying to stay optimistic. There are many people working to make life better for all of us.