“Red Hats” (reprise)

On By Mike U.In Poetry

(originally posted 11/7/2021)

“Red Hats”
(c) 2021 by Michael L. Utley

“The end came just like the fella predicted,”
The old man said. “They were legion,
Wrapped in flags and carrying crosses,
And they were insane.”

He regarded me with a resigned calmness
Across the flames of the campfire,
Studying me intently as his eyes flickered,
His haggard face ensconced in a fiery
Red-yellow glow. At his feet, a small black dog
Lay curled in a tight ball of oblivious slumber
Beneath frigid late-autumn stars,
Occasionally twitching in some
Alien canine dream. The denuded woods
Surrounding us were silent save for
Sporadic cries that echoed remotely in the dark.

“They caught us unaware,” the old man continued.
“Their lies were slippery and darkly enticing,
And they awoke a feral animal bloodlust
In the gullible low-hanging fruit. It was
Modern-day sorcery, a triggering of
Mass psychosis, a mental blitzkrieg,
A philosophical paradigm shift of
Cult-like proportions.”

He stirred the fire with a stick as he
Gazed into the embers, scrying memories
Of the end of all things. The dog let out a
Muffed whimper and kicked weakly in its sleep.

“You never know a man’s heart until you
Dangle a piece of raw meat in front of him,”
The old man said, still lost in his contemplation
Of the embers. “All it took was the raw meat
Of lies and fear and hate, bow-tied in a
Pretty box of false patriotism. Guns and ammo
Included.”

At this, he looked at me through the fire,
His eyes burning. “And they had all the guns.
And when they ran out of bullets, they
Used their fists. And when they ran out of
Enemies, they fell on each other like a
Pack of rabid hyenas…and their
Mad orange god was pleased…”

To the east, the bilious moon climbed
Above the bony fingers of the trees
As a gust of wind kicked up sparks
In the fire, sending them heavenward
Like a swarm of hellish fireflies.

“After that, it was just mop-up duty
For the shock troops,” the old man said.
“The base had fulfilled its sacred duty
Of wanton slaughter and blasphemous
Self-sacrifice. The plutocrats performed
Their symbolic fellatio on the
Mad orange god, then everyone hunkered
And bunkered down. And this…” he said,
Nodding at the cold dead woods,
At the distant insensate stars, at the bloated moon
Clawing its way up the night sky,
At the howls of the damned echoing
In the darkness, at the utter extinction
Of all hope, “…is what’s left…”

28 thoughts on ““Red Hats” (reprise)”

    1. Thanks, Filipa. I try to avoid writing overtly political material, but this poem from two years ago is even more appropriate now to describe what’s happening in American right-wing politics. It’s crazy, dangerous stuff…

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    1. Thanks, Michele. I’d never heard of Red Hat Ladies so I did a quick search and found them. I can see where the confusion might occur. 🙂 However, the more nefarious red hats referred to in this poem are a lot more prevalent in my very red area of southwest Colorado, and it’s disturbing on many levels. I wanted to imagine what might happen should our democracy fall to the bad guys, and this is what came to mind. Here’s hoping our democracy prevails against this threat.

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    2. The red hats this poem references are those worn by maga right-wing extremists. Like I mentioned in my comment to Filipa above, I generally avoid writing political stuff on my blog because I want it to be a safe place where I can be myself and not have to worry about anything else. But sometimes it becomes too much and I feel like I need to vent a bit and bring attention to some broader issues, things that are happening that have a profoundly negative affect on my life. It’s that tightrope of balancing between speaking about important issues while trying not to offend anyone. I debated whether to post this poem when I wrote it two years ago, and I debated again whether to repost it now. It’s pretty brutal and I’m sure some folks won’t like it at all, but I felt like I need to say something. I admire writers who boldly speak the truth and let their voices be heard. For me, I still worry about offending someone by speaking the truth. Ah, well…

      Anyway, thanks for your support, Michele. I truly appreciate it. 🙂

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      1. Thank you for sharing this, Mike. I understand your reference to the tightrope. I avoid politics, in general, other than voting. However, I do believe it is important to share what you feel called to share and not let fear or worry silence you. I applaud you. 🌻 You are welcome. I appreciate yours as well. 🙏🏻

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  3. That’s the truth of it, isn’t it? I hope this doesn’t come to pass, Mike. Once this poem would have seemed like a dive into a dystopian nightmare from the realm of imagination. Now, it’s become a possible vision of the future for our country. I hope sanity will prevail, but I’m not sure. A powerful cautionary poem, my friend. It’s gripping.

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    1. Thank you, Diana. I hesitated to post this two years ago, and I hesitated to post it again now, but it’s even more relevant today with all that’s happening politically. I couldn’t help but envision the very worst when I thought about what might occur if things go pear-shaped and our experiment in democracy comes to an end. It’s a brutal, obscene poem, for sure, but it’s a scary subject, and like you said, it’s all too possible, given the current state of affairs.

      The first time I posted this, it received only one comment. Since I’m trying to repost a handful of older poems as I work through writer’s block, I wanted to give this one another chance, all the while having this pit of fear and uneasiness in my gut as to whether folks would angrily respond to it, or simply ignore it again. I felt like I needed to say something or I’d burst from frustration. Political discourse is challenging at best nowadays, and I never wanted my blog to be a place for arguing about politics. So, it was sort of difficult to post this one again.

      I have another poem that will be published next week (11/2) at Chewers & Masticadores that has political overtones, so I guess I’ll see how that one goes. Some things just need to be said, I think.

      Anyway, let’s hope for the best, that our guardrails will protect our democracy from those who would see it die. And thanks so much for your supportive comment. I really appreciate it. 🙂

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      1. Yes. Some things just need to be said, regardless of whether they’ll change minds. Opinions are so entrenched these days that it’s like shouting into a void. But saying nothing is an uncomfortable sort of compliance. At best, it signifies indifference, which can lead to equally dangerous results. These are scary times.

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    2. Scary times, indeed. This one was inspired by a quote commonly–and mistakenly–attributed to Sinclair Lewis which says, “When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross…” It was easy for me to imagine what would come next, given my penchant and love for dark poetry and horror. I hope I’m wrong and that this is merely a hiccup or speedbump, you know?

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  4. A powerful poem, Mike, and I hope the prospect of your message doesn’t become our reality. But it’s a scary world out there, and while I also avoid political conversing online, I agree that those red hats are frightening! Let’s hope the compassion in humanity prevails. ❤️

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    1. Many thanks, Lauren. I agree with you. Hopefully wisdom and compassion will see us through this particularly rough patch and we come out stronger for it. I appreciate your kindness and taking time to read this difficult piece. I hope your weekend is a good one. 🙂

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    1. Thanks, Peggy. I know this one isn’t for everyone as it’s pretty dark and brutal, so I appreciate that you’ve taken the time to read it. I hope your weekend is going well. Thanks again, my friend. 🙂

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    1. Thanks so much, Layla. Like I mentioned to Diana above, I was inspired by the famous quote which many folks wrongly attribute to Sinclair Lewis that says, “When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross…” That quote has haunted me since the first time I read it. I took it and ran with it and couldn’t help but imagine a dark, dead, dystopian future devoid of hope. These are frightening times. I value your insight, support and encouragement so much, and it’s always a delight to see you stop by. Thanks again, my friend. 🙂

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    1. Thank you so much. It’s a frightening time, for sure, and it’s mind-boggling to realize we’ve come to the very brink of insanity in this country. I hope for the best, but I’m fearful of the future…

      Thanks again for your kind words. I appreciate it. 😊

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