Floods & Fascism, Freedom & Future
(This poem was originally published back in July when the Texas floods occurred, and the weight of fascism was especially heavy. The website was having issues, so the poem was only able to be shared on social media. Now that the site is working, the poem needed to be published here as well.)
Words that start with the letter ‘F’ are filling my brain today.
Floods flash across my screen,
Innocence and common sense fatally swept away,
Faces full of grief over the unfathomable forfeiture of life.
Fascism forces its boot upon our necks,
Frozen hearts and minds crush our souls and our communities,
With foreboding fury and feigned righteousness.
I feel frustrated, furious, and fatigued,
Weighing both the fear of loss and yet faith in humanity.
Asking what the fuck is happening?
Is it foolish to hold fast to hope,
Despite the unforgiving cruelty this feckless, feeble, fraudulent government does?
It feels so forlorn to know we’ve long been forsaken by those in power.
Yet, it’s powerful knowing the fragility of their fleeting control,
That their failure is inevitable,
As all empires famously fall, eventually.
So I look to the future,
Where we fearlessly fight for our collective freedom from this flood of fascism.
Where we build a fair and functional society,
Formed on strong foundations and fundamental truths.
Where we fervently fix the foul wrongs of the past,
And move forward in liberation and love toward a just future.
And where we stand in solidarity with our families, friends, and neighbors,
Grounded in fertile, fortified community once and for all.
(A word about the poem will continue after the ad)
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A Note About the Poem
The devastation of the floods and the accelerating fascism in the country have weighed heavily on me, as has the passing of the giant, disgusting bill, and the construction of (new) concentration camps with our taxes. I fear we are running out of time to stop this.
It’s hard to fight the despair and hopelessness. Just trying to survive and take care of responsibilities is the most many can muster these days. Yet, despite the exhaustion, we’re not going quietly. So we find the words and the courage to speak up and resist however we can.
Speaking personally, it’s been difficult for me to write lately; the most I can get out of me is poetry. So much has happened in such a short period, it’s been overwhelming to keep up with everything, process it, and then find the time or energy to sit down and write things out. When I’ve tried recently, it just becomes a spiral of connecting and upsetting information. There have been so many things I’ve wanted to write about, but before I can even try to, the next big thing happens, and the cycle repeats over and over again.
Anyway, I sat in bed this evening watching videos of the floods and rescues, hearing how the deaths were preventable but the Texas government cut funding to essential programs, and no one wanted to spend the money on upgrades or safeguards. They said it was too expensive. They weren’t willing to pay for those things, but they still paid a price. Do they think the cost was worth the “savings?”
As everything flooded through me, words that began with ‘F’ came to mind, and I immediately began writing this poem.
I hope it speaks to you and whatever you’re feeling right now.
Take care, beloveds.
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