Poem: Neda

Neda

A beautiful smile

Obvious joy in living

Musical, friendly, playful

Neda

Twenty-six years old

Only beginning life

So much promise; so many dreams

Neda

One bullet to her chest

Then eyes roll to sleep

Blood pouring from nose and mouth

Neda

A nameless triggerman

But the assassins?

Khamenei, Ahmadinejad

Falsely-claimed men of God

Oppressive cowards

Fearing the people, the truth, freedom, God’s way

Neda

Truly these rulers – frightened tyrants

Hiding behind lies, crimes, stolen elections

Pretending belief in God

Killing with evil, brutality is not God-like

Neda

A young life of endless possibility

Bleeding away on the pavement

How many more in the shadows?

Neda, Neda, Neda

All tyranny is defeated by time

Honor and justice prevail

And a death, many, too many, will be remembered

Neda will be remembered

Copyright SGW 2009

My previous thoughts on Neda are here.

Neda

So many people die each day. Many die at the hands of evil and corrupt people or institutions. However, the death of Neda Salehi Agha Soltan, 26, in Iran a few days ago haunts me. It is the first time I have ever witnessed someone die (via Youtube) and I will never forget her face.

Seeing Neda die in such a way gets to the heart of what is happening in Iran and many other places around the world. Anyone who could witness another person die in this manner and still condone acts of violence against innocent people does not believe in God, is wholly unjust and immoral, is criminal, and deserves no place in society. The Iranian regime must go. It does not deserve power, respect or any measure of religious standing.

I pray that the people of Iran can rise up and replace the Khamenei/Ahmadinejad dictatorship with a just and free government - one that does not hate its own people OR God.

Poem: Circling The Drain

Circling The Drain

The Republican remnants in a terrible fright
The right wingnuts worry they have lost all their bite
Cry of lost power thrown away they once kept
When they made the decisions they were wholly inept
They freed Wall Street bankers to run unfettered by law
Rules that might govern they would strongly abhor
The economy’s in ruin and they offer just “no’s”
Herbert Hoover their answer as history shows
Boxed in a nation only richest might thrive
When Bushie left office we could barely survive
Their Fox, faux, fake news show where the ignorant turn
They distort, twist and lie and their viewers won’t learn
Screaming irrationally and playing to fear
Obama’s a Marxist, militant (black), Muslim, queer
Reduced to the ravings of a tea-bagging muddle
The conservative ocean now no more than a puddle

Copyright SGW 2009

Extremists in the name of NO God

Extremist Muslims who are suicide bombers do not follow anything God might defend.

Extremist Christians who shoot doctors who perform abortions and discriminate against gays do not follow anything God might defend.

Extremist Jews who rampage against Arabs in the West Bank and murder to defend illegal settlements do not follow anything God might defend.