Poetry by John Beacham
“Open Up and Die” Updated and Re-titled, “Your Mask is Our Life!”
It all comes down to your masks and your big love, my friends, ‘cause the Big Love is just not in the U-S-A. Not yet. Not until the end of this poem. Perhaps
Florida, where the governor’s mansion makes you “live” with the virus, ‘cause, you know, business before safety. That is what it is is: the bosses’ money before your lungs, heart and brain
Open the gates, open the gates … onward, onward to Disneyworld!
Genocide by individual liberty
Illinois and California, where the demgov does a better job for a few weeks and still more people die than in all of victorious China ‘cause …
The “libgovs” capitulate to a tiny handful of open-it, anti-mask racists; there is no social or public health fabric flesh; there is no we the people, just delusions of “at least we’re not Florida or Texas or Arizona or South Carolina”
Genocide by liberalism
(33 percent
33 percent of children tested in Florida as of July 15 have the genocide. Children!
“We currently have 85 babies under the age of one year in Nueces County that have all tested positive for Covid-19,” said the director of public health for Corpus Christi Nueces County (in Texas).
“These babies have not even had their first birthday yet. Please help us stop the spread of this disease.”
Wear a mask!)
Now. Quiet your heart, breath and ears feeling …
The pandemic is at your door. At your door. It is at your door!
Smashing your door into a million flying pieces of masks that twist a virus into tiny shards of mostly harmless waves harmonium
What other option? What other option? Tell me and …
Wait. Track back finely
The United States, where we send the young out to get infected in pandemic spreading zones of crowded bars and gyms at the epicenter
The country of death and disease is not
Russia, Russia, Russia
It’s not China, China, China
Now. Look. I don’t blame the bar owners though some of them are scum
I don’t blame the bargoers though most should do better and don’t
I don’t blame the families getting together
I blame the system that is in reality a non-stop lo-fi psychic filament of virus transmission belt
So. What now?
Have you seen the new futured-monument? It is twenty-one stories high. On top of the glory mountain. Five of us like one rock, all masked. Realist. Humanist. Crisp steel
Arms twined and extended to the sky with slightly cupped hands. Heads up. Steady and calm. Visage to the stars. Front foot forward to …
The socialist future we drink up as a lip-satisfying, face caressed gentle breeze fountain that was always there but now finally understood and welcomed
I say to you now: “Welcome, my loves!”
“Open Up and Die” and “‘Open Up and Die’ Updated and Re-titled, ‘Your Mask is Our Life!’” are from the book, “On the Pandemic, To the Rising,” which can be found here: https://www.mass-action.org/On-the-Pandemic-Poems.html
Florida is a capitalist dictatorship
Florida so sad …profit-open > your
Friends, let us not mince. The government is killing people. Thousands of people. Florida and everywhere
To be precise: GENOCIDE
Florida so sad is america. Don’t miss miss it—as america as California or NYC where they haven’t stopped the genocide with better words
Words, words, words that do not stick or solve or sinew or lead. Where is the leader? Ohhhh, where are you in all of this?
Listening? Shout it through that massive placard bullhorn over the four corners: Who will stop america?
You. You will stop america
Or else, sister. Or else as Columbus statues brought down by the work of the rainbow future teens
“Florida is a Capitalist Dictatorship” and “Florida is a Communist Dictatorship” are from the book, “On the Pandemic, To the Rising,” which can be found here: https://www.mass-action.org/On-the-Pandemic-Poems.html
John Beacham is a social justice activist, podcast host and college writing teacher who writes political commentary, poetry and science fiction. He is founder of MASS ACTION podcast and publications platform: https://www.mass-action.org. He would bird more if he could.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are solely that of the author.
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