a dozen years back
we danced in the streets
giddy with relief
now
is our autumn of uneasiness
celebrating dispirited wins
mourning unfathomable loss
in isolation, alone and still
surrounded by strangers
with values so unlike ours
they stoke in our hearts
the very fear and rage
we find we find so distasteful in theirs
make no mistake:
this is not a both-sides
middle of the road
plea for neighborly politeness
there is no room for such bullshit
in my poetry
no
but neither will I
simplify
to the common denominator of
good versus evil
because humanity is complicated
and quite frankly we are all
in over our heads
the horsemen before us on the ridge
care nothing of our family spats
now we wait and wonder
a dozen years forward
will we dance again
with our neighbors and friends?