Travesty

Skittles, iced tea, unarmed. Seventeen years
old. Looks like he’s up to no good…he’s just star-
ing at me. Though cops tell Zimmerman to stay
in his truck, he gets out to find a stre-
et sign.      Fox News anchors rave
about gold teeth, suspension, drugs. Show Trayv-
on pose tough, blow smoke. Never vary
the message. Mock Rachel Jeantel, her tart
tongue mumbling, That’s real reta-
rded, sir. Dangerous. Dumb. Thug. The strate-
gy works. The dead kid’s guilty. The defense can rest.

Freedom Ghazal

Near windows, silenced students gaze toward freedom.
Watch what you yearn for. Can you afford freedom?
 
My teen vow – to be a queen of love,
a disciple of art, a ward of freedom.
 
Why did Floridians re-elect a
fascist? Were they bored with freedom?
 
Starving farmers enslaved by dry earth.
Finally, clouds gathered. Poured freedom.
 
Not apple. Not a snake’s come-hither hiss.
The lure that can’t be ignored?  Freedom.
 
Tended to with thick gloves, the broken bat
mended. Wobbled, then soared. Freedom’s
 
just another word for nothing left to lose,
Janis knew. Others try to hoard freedom.
 
Women, be like goddess sculptures – open
vulva for pleasure, raised sword for freedom.
 
Blues greats gave sorrow a tune. Rock gods wrote
lust into rhythm. Mozart scored freedom.
 
Sour in the convict’s mouth. Tangy in
the immigrant’s. A fickle word, freedom.
 
See us march -- all races, faiths, ages, passions united.
Four million “snowflakes.” A blizzard of freedom.
 
I try on names like scarves. Sweetheart. Scapegoat.
Mom. Interpreter of dreams. Bard of freedom.

Florida Born

Harder to grieve the lost, still-living
parent, sucked up into Tucker Carlson
hypnotism. Marinating in rage.
Choosing TV and loneliness over
let’s-just-not-talk-politics love.
Such stubborn unawareness,
almost incomprehensible, like movie
reviewers who write, The theater
had no air conditioning. One star.
Or Awful! Ushers kept shining their lights.