not woke in 20 16

I’m not woke because some inflated pop darling super model reality star drone wore a $700 shirt with trigger words

I was woke from birth because I had no choice

I Didn’t have the privilege of sitting in ignorance until 20 16 came; my hair and face forced me to see the world as it was

And has always been

Not the smoke and mirrors version the powers that be wanted me to believe in

I stayed aware and enlightened no matter who was in power

So please faux feminists, shallow Hollywood celebrities and complicit politicians spare me your ridiculous outrage you aren’t woke because you get it

you are woke because you are a walking billboard hawking whatever the ad man pays you to look and sound like

You are woke because it’s trending

I was awake while you were sleeping at the wheel too pampered to look at the ever changing world around you to notice how disconnected you truly had become

I was alive while you were promoting companies that seek to dismantle the spirit of people who look like me

I was progressing while you were too scared to sacrifice your airbrushed image to have a real thought or opinion

Your silence contributed to what you now stand against

If Donald Trump woke you then you are complicit not a hero or an icon

A real icon takes a stand when they could loose everything not just when its in vogue

How tragic you waited for this one man to open your eyes to what’s been all around us since the beginning

My birth didn’t afford me the privilege of being asleep to this or any other  election

And my occupation doesn’t give me a platform of paid hypocrisy

I’m always aware, because I have to be and not because an election made me pout

I don’t have time to be weepy when politics don’t go my way, it never does and never has

The powers that be have never spoken to me just about me; my religion,sex,race,income, zip code and culture

It’s always about the great isms of the world… minimizing the life experiences of those being preyed on

No one owns my opinions, thoughts or voice.

I will not conform to a stereotype that comforts you.

I will always challenge the system by the way I live,think and speak

while being a proud contradiction of who society says I need to be and why

I am free

not woke and not asleep

Just free…..

m.m

The pusher man

Everyday in every community men, women and children line the corner in hopes of seeing the pusher man

He gains their trust but he’s no friend  

He’s their Warden. Keeping them sick while promising a cure

His  time is fleeting but he’s always carrying  

He should be behind bars but his street cred and fancy degree keep him free

He’s the real gateway, not MaryJane

A true menace to all of society

Yet there he is day after day getting more people hooked on the latest and greatest ways to increase the high and numb the pain

His customers grow by the minute as habitual ads show his stash making all the pretty people’s  woes disappear, from head to feet

Every body part has a symptom and a fix. Because, everyone has to be uncomfortably numb

My dude’s Axton and Curtis once grooved about this guy

But yesterday’s alleyman is nothing compared to today’s legal high

He losses 125 lives a day to the coroner’s line and destroys more. Some yet not born

Yet the pusher man never gets a charge

Because Big pharma rules all of DC

Handsomely paying their man to keep getting people higher and higher even while the death toll rises.

 

 

m.m.

The failure of men

Mr. Presidents

May you hang your heads in shame and embarrassment for such a grave failure 

All of you have failed my father and the fathers of millions

Our parents have made the ultimate sacrifice so you could live a life of grandeur

You all preach about patriotism but never make life better for our fathers or  the father’s before them

You all keep making promises

But purposely fail

You suffer from amnesia after the votes are tallied and donation checks cashed 

You all lied and keep lying

As men and women continue dying you do nothing more than shout empty promises all while saluting the flag

faux patriotism

Our father’s have done something you would never do; put country before self.

As men and women continue getting ill in mind, body and spirit, what have you done?

As many more die while waiting for care, what will you do?

Mr. Presidents what have any of you done to write such wrongs?

How many deaths will it take for you to turn your words into real progress?

Shame on all of you, Mr. Presidents.

You all have failed in ways you can’t imagine.

And none of you can begin to imagine such sacrifices, nor do you care to.

Because such grave failures don’t affect your father’s or mother’s.

m.m.

The trash can

There is no pride in the game

For a year the media has tripped  over themselves chasing the man shrouded in gold like a dog chasing its tail.

A year of gross commentary and vile shouting matches has led to this..

Men and Women of privilege debating who has the most riches and who is less racist. Imagine two of the most luxurious people in the world featured on stylized news channels deciding who treats US worse 

I have more educated, compassionate and honest dialogues with my loved ones  at the dinner table

But we aren’t cool or famous so our voices don’t get heard.

Hours of the day are spent  dissecting his every word and gesture

Minutes are spent reviewing her long history of transgressions

And no time is spent on people like me, my neighbors or any real community in need of real answers

A natural disaster of historic proportions wasnt enough to get the tv personalities attention or airtime; they sent in a drone for a minute of airtime

Numerous worthy stories are left on the cutting room floor so a faux journalist can squeeze every second out of the days drama to allow another hour of his prime time show

Pride is nowhere to be found in this election;  not from the candidates or those charged to be pilars of the truth

The truth doesn’t exist when men and women choose apathy over work.

Its laziness wrapped up as expertise.

There is no trusted name in news or unbiased reporting. Just men and women seeking their own interests, ratings and ad money.

When those in charge of reporting the truth are swimming in the gutter we the people stay left behind.

The deaf of democracy

You do not speak for me

and No, I’m not with you.

Nothing you say or make up with your posh friends in the “news” world or in Hollywood  will change my mind.

No catchy slogan or celebrity endorsement will help

I see through it all; including  your faux concern for the common man.

For me.

You both have divided and conquered through the most egregious of ways; using race, ethnicity, class, religion and intolerance to propel your greedy self interests

To be the last one standing you sacrificed every moral and ethical truth

Through your lifetime of inaction and ridiculous tongue you have shown me all I need to see and hear.

And while you scream and shout at one another my voice, OUR voices, the voices of the people continue to go unheard

So keep screaming and shouting because…..

you are not my role model or hero.

you are nothing more than a symbol of elitism dressed up as progressiveness and strength

Your attempts to appear “cool” by standing next to people who make a living shaming those of us who don’t fit their 90210 lifestyle only mocks the real progress that has yet to be embraced by you or your foe

So No, I’m not with you and No, you are not my voice

You don’t hear or see me because I dont fit the archaic labels you use to divide and conquer at any and all cost

My life has no value to you beyond a donation and a vote so I refuse to acknowledge your worth in my life or in our democracy

You both are nothing more than symbols of stagnation and cronyism in a profession that demands no accountability.

Your political status is a reminder that while we as a culture have come far, we the people must challenge and progress our ideals of what a “free” society looks like for ALL if this is what democracy sounds like in 2016.

m.m.

 

Don’t blame Donald Trump

Since the man behind the golden palace announced his bid for presidency apathetic journalists, commentators, professional protesters, bloggers and the like have all blamed him for the increase in racial tensions.

But all the blame need not come back to one man!

He is only a symbol of the underlying racism that has existed in these united states for hundreds of years

And no voting for Obama doesn’t exclude you from being a part of the problem. It’s the same distorted thinking that many have used when they proudly proclaim “I slept with a black guy in college I can’t be racist”

If you needed this man, this one man to be reminded that racism was alive and well then you have chosen willful ignorance

He is just a man. Nothing more. No better than you. No better than I.

I’m neither a supporter or a denier.  I’m a realist. Many are seeking a political revolution and have chosen this man to led a revolt.

As both sides; the blues and reds have failed for so long

In a time when the national demographics are rapidly shifting self segregation is at an all time high. From the world of academia to real estate; so many are choosing to live in a homogeneous world.  Exclusively surrounded by those who look, think and feel just like them.

Group think is never a catalyst for progress.

The man behind the golden gates isn’t the problem; he is the latest excuse in a long line of excuses throughout our history as to keep racial progress on the most superficial of levels.  Don’t look to politicians, the media or Hollywood to be a shinning example as they are the biggest culprits.

Hollywood; one of the worse offenders has a long standing motto “white is the only way right” hell they don’t let ANY ethnic group tell their stories. Unless it’s about slavery or the wars.  Even futuristic movies are whitewashed.

So please celebrities hold back on the sobbing op- eds. Your paychecks suggest your outrage is fictitious.

This wild man shrouded in gold isn’t causing people to get violent or riot he’s just an excuse for many to point to and exclaim “well I’m not that bad” “see I told you white people are racist”

So next time you are shouting objections over this one man look around your own world to see if you too have failed.

Telling your teens not to bring home a date who is a different race. Proclaiming only  women who are fair are worthy of the prettiest title. Fearful when an ethnic family moves into your neighborhood or telling your children all white people are racist and all blacks are bad.

And lamenting  that races shouldn’t “mix” because whites stay with whites and blacks stay with blacks!

Private bigotry always comes out in public

Remember Trump is just a man with a loud speaker but all of you, all of us have the power to raise up families and neighborhoods to a higher level of co- existence.

We the people, all people are greater than one man.  And we all have the power to make this world, our world a place of love or a place of hate

I choose love, love for all!

What about you? Can you show love to all of mankind or only those who look just like you?

m.m.

 

 

 

 

Media Blues

No place for truth only self serving sentiments colored with so much bias time runs out for anything of substance

Journalist have long left behind reporting the news in order to keep up with the most scandalous of affairs

So many pivotal events in need of airtime, investigation and proper discussion being buried under a pile of distractions meant to increase ad revenue not awareness

Showmen never reflect on their own negligence but rather place the blame exclusively on the viewers

There’s no time for honesty when seeking gossip, ratings & Ad money

Greed is always in charge & on full display during the 24 hour cycle of chaos

Artificial outrage has replaced journalist working to investigate any story unless it advances their self interest

Opinions are golden and truth is silenced

No longer a place to be informed, educated or enlightened; just an opportunity for an hourly cage match to run on a 24 hour loop highlighted by  gross commentary

the money shot is always the same; a split screen of two angry people fighting over anything controversial with a smiling middle man whose eyes have been replaced by dollar signs

After hitting the self destruct mode the news is a shadow of its former self

A relic pretending to still be relevant by transforming into whatever and whoever is popular for the day

A place viewers can only rely on to observe a dilapidated circus

And oh what a foul show it has become!

 

m.m

 

 

 

 

Tick Tock

As another election cycle barrels through our landscape the question remains the same

What will change for we the people after the powers that be crown a new winner?

Stagnation rules in DC while main street crumbles

Communities once raised up are now dust bowl towns; suffocated by those who promised to be agents of change

From rural America to the big apple; no city is immune from the disease of government apathy

Every election cycle we the people hear the same slogans and promises from the same characters of elites

The names and faces may change but the outcome is inevitable fixed

And even though nothing changes on the ground, the politicians kept getting paid even when they fail

As if those in charge purposely withhold progress to keep everyone in their place

Their continued failures become the back drop to our lives

How long does it take for “the smartest people in the room” to get the job done?

Politicians railing that they have spent a lifetime in office often have little substance to show for decades of begging for votes and donations

How long does progress take?

What do we the people have to show for our votes?

what has DC done for us?

While their wealth and political ambitions grow we the people sit fixed in their rear view mirror

The future of our democracy appears grim as those in power are exclusively motivated by the all mighty dollar

But fear not

there is hope and it doesn’t/can’t rest in the hands of self obsessed politicians

it rest in all of us

Everyday in every community our fellow citizens are changing the world by making their communities a better place to call home

because change starts at home & on main street first

so before you loose all hope that things can’t get better remember your neighbors; the great citizens who wake up everyday to selflessly commit the greatest act of political change

making communities healthier & safer one act of kindness at a time

my thanks to all of my fellow citizens who are changing the world by changing our streets

Be well all m.m.

 

 

 

 

The Soundtrack

 A beautiful being that has the potential to nurture life

Change the world with grace, courage and goodwill has been reduced to a bratz doll

nothing more than a vapid mannequin for hollywood, advertisers and magazine editors to manipulate and contort into something so obscene it’s unrecognizable and unattainable

The female power has been a muse since the beginning

inspiring the greatest works of art; from literature to music

even inspiring men to cross vast oceans and declare war just to prove they are worthy

The strongest of men have been brought to their knees, weakened by sorrow and pain. crushed that such a love may never return

 now women are scolded and deemed worthless unless they submit to the current trend of doctoring ones body to look like the most popular of celebrities

Every part is scrutinized for either being too big or too small.

No longer a place for women who want to be natural

Just a continual cycle of women being shamed for not looking perfectly plumped, sculpted, contoured, shaded & highlighted  24/7.

Words that should be a source of pride are now used to degrade and insult

put “mom” “women” or “girl” in front of anything and the societal stock immediately plummets

even ageing is packaged and sold as something to be feared instead of celebrated

We hail celebrity women as “brave” when they pretend to go make up free, filter free, or photo-shop free

False idols pretending to be real so they can keep cashing in their endorsement checks

 these same women hid out till they have become the perfect after picture from dr. 90210

all the while telling women to accept themselves just as they are

None of this is done to uplift women, rather it’s meant to prop up their fake lives

Every selfie butt pic and nip slip is all purposefully captured to remind women “you can look just like me all you need to do is buy my products “

None of these false champions of women are leaders, rather they are the problem

They are predators disguising their true motives under the falsification of being a role model for all women

But Women deserve so much more than celebs who are so far removed from reality they don’t know themselves or their true identity

These women are not role models nor should they be held up as the standard

none of that hollywood bullshit is real or worthy of your attention

It’s all smoke and mirrors

They are nothing more than walking billboards; trading their individuality in for mass conformity

Real women are all around us everyday making our world better without asking for a fee

These real women are all beautiful

And not because of their looks

but because they are the symphony to all of our lives

Creating a wonderful soundtrack that keeps life moving to a beautiful beat

m.m

I Didn’t Know

When I was 18 I feel in love and stayed in love but I didn’t know it was wrong 

Never one to think about color, ethnicity,culture or gender I just followed my heart

Never once thinking that my heart could be wrong

Walking hand in hand the outside world only sees black and white

And what they see they immediately hate

Never seeing us as humans we just become a side show for those who hate to snicker and sneer

Black and white that’s all they see, because that’s all they want to see

No one ever told me it was wrong to love someone whose skin color was different than mine 

I wasn’t raised that way

But maybe I should have known better as I saw and felt my parents go through the same hate and bigotry

I just thought the 2000’s would be kinder

My partner tells me to look the other way because saying something gives the bigots power but its hard to walk away & not scream in the face of such hate

 But keep your objections to yourself; stop using religion, the bible and gross history to defend your condemnation of our love

You don’t matter

 You wont win

I won’t let you take my dignity or pride that’s mine to keep in the face of your hate

And just so you know there is nothing you can do to ever make me think like you or agree that your hate is justified

because after all these years I know better

m.m.