Above the hum or beneath it I’ll survive.
Looking around with more than just eyes.
Trying not to see but to understand.
People scream and shout in happiness or despair or they might keep quiet while their insides burn.
A Rick Santorum bumper sticker screams to gay people of their evilness and lack of rights, expecting them to accept it all while he discusses ways to divert funding from public education and defends the home schooling of his own kids between sips of champagne. This asshole wants to be President of The United States of America and enough people actually think he’d be a good choice for the job that he wins caucuses and stays in the race. Please, if you’re out there, wake me up and tell me it was all a bad dream and I’ll laugh at the outlandishness of my own subconscious.
Rationalize the lies and they become true to you.
People protect themselves and shield themselves and create their own little worlds. I don’t blame them for that. But when the vibe flattens and the masks come off that’s when I’ll engage, that’s when you’ll see me and I’ll see you and maybe we’ll understand. For now I’ll just dance and look out through the smoke and try my best to live.
(Big Tuba lives in Philadelphia. He's been published on many a men's room wall, and he's friendly.)
Great piece, Big Tuba.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely sounds more like a song than anything else. Are you thinking of writing anything comparable yourself, Richard?
ReplyDeleteWell, you've certainly made your opinion clear, but what exactly do you have against home schooling?
ReplyDeleteInteresting piece, certainly food of thought.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of The Big Tuba. I can relate though to how many politicians do have double standards, one for us, and one for them, and that is probably the same the whole world over too.
ReplyDeleteYo, thanks to all y'all for the comments. Ganymeder, nothing against home schooling. Back when Santorum was a Senator from PA he wanted to take funding away from public schools and allow parents to put their tax dollars toward private schools if they so chose. To me, this meant abandonment of our public schools. When I learned that his kids were all home schooled, I thought, "who's this guy on his soapbox talking about moving much needed public school funding toward private schools, and his kids ain't in either?" But in general, I have no problem with home schooling as a practice. Just please, anyone who can do it, please don't try to divert funding from our public schools, the kids in those schools need more money toward better education, not less, that's what I think. Thanks again, everyone, for reading and for the comments.
ReplyDeleteInteresting piece, has a great rhythm to it.
ReplyDelete