“Platitudes” (reprise)

On By Mike U.In Poetry

(Author’s note: I first posted this piece in March 2024 because my gut told me American democracy would fall in the 2024 elections…and it has. Hatred, fear and lies have ushered in a new, dark world in America as fascists now have power. I am beyond angry and deeply hurt that my fellow Americans have chosen fascism over truth, love and compassion. For now, all I have are these words…and my promise that I will never stop fighting for democracy…)

“Platitudes”
(c) 2024 by Michael L. Utley

the yoke of burdensome veracity
does not comport with those whose vapid souls
would congregate toward lies like moths to flame
and frenzy-feed on poison from the troughs
of those who wish to lead all men astray

thus in the end your heaven’s impotence
could not redeem this unabating hell
and all your pithless ersatz platitudes
lay shattered in inconsequential heaps
the dross of feckless minds and futile means

and though you crow
This truth I know!
as you insist
you ken the gist
of edicts straight
from heaven’s gate
your craven heart
betrays you

this truth I know—that there are those who scheme
to dominate the spineless weak of mind
whose brackish hearts and savage mien await
the opportunity to unleash hate
and spread destruction in their savior’s name

and wear upon their heads their savior’s creed
its name emblazoned red upon their breasts
and armed with flag and gun and profaned cross
prepare to soon fulfill the prophecies
of bloodlust and democracy’s demise

and you proclaim
your savior’s name
on bended knee
and worship he
whose rancid heart
tears souls apart
and vow to kill
to please him

the dove of peace and purity is dead
its carcass desecrated by the mob
its once-white plumage dripping crimson now
as boots stamp restlessly and voices hush
your vulgar gilded calf about to speak

and all the lies of men pour forth as smoke
and all eyes blinded, all hearts burned to ash
and all ears hear the trumpet of the spawn
and all minds bound as one, their task at hand
it’s time to make this country great again

and you shall tread
among the dead
with weapons raised
your savior praised
a new world birthed
now hell on earth
and from above
heaven weeps

the monster you’ve created has no name
its voice the sound of screams and champing teeth
its appetite for wrath insatiable
and as it turns its gaze on you it grins
and now perhaps at last you know the truth

thus in the end your heaven’s impotence
cannot redeem this unrelenting hell
and puerile platitudes cannot assuage
the damnation you’ve brought upon yourself
go forth in horror, your new world awaits

33 thoughts on ““Platitudes” (reprise)”

    1. Kindest thanks. I feel as though I’m about to burst and figured I’d repost this piece to try to make sense of what’s happened. However, it’s impossible to make sense out of something so senseless…

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply

    1. Thanks, Lauren. It’s been devastating. I keep thinking, “What has America done? And why?” To actually choose this path is both unconscionable and unfathomable. This is one of those “point of no return” moments, I’m afraid. My hope is running on fumes. Be safe, my friend.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      1. My family feels the same, Mike. Policies set aside, did they not listen to his meaningless and outlandish rhetoric? He exudes hate, and the list goes on. So, we’re feeling a whole host of emotions, but we also have to move forward, and somehow, keep hope alive. Hang in there and stay safe too, dear friend. 🤗

        Liked by 2 people

  6. Such a powerful poem about such a frightening, heartbreaking turn in history. There’s no coming to terms with what has happened … in a democratic election. I hope your creative talents can bring you some release, Mike. 🥲

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Thank you, Jane. I’m sorry my country has betrayed the rest of the world. I know many people throughout the world are terrified right now, not just here in the States. I fear for everyone globally, and for the earth itself. And you’re right–this was a choice, and that makes it all the more insane. No foreign army invaded us and forced this upon us at gunpoint (although foreign actors have most definitely been waging influence campaigns against democracy for years, most notably putin). Voters chose fascism over democracy, and they’re delighted right now. It’s surreal.

      Thank you for your constant kindness, my friend. It means a lot to me.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  7. You absolutely nailed it, Mike. This is so incredibly visceral which is totally appropriate for this moment. I am still sick to my stomach, wondering what the hell is wrong with this country. Sadly we will ALL get the future these dimwits voted for.
    God help us all.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Thank you, Russ. I keep returning to the same thought: all of us will suffer because of the reckless insanity of those who chose this path. My own life will be drastically affected soon as I’m disabled and rely on some social safety net programs just to survive. Those programs will likely end sooner than later, and I’ll lose what little I have (income, healthcare, housing). But even worse, the carnage will affect millions, and not just here in the States. The collateral damage from this disaster will reach a global scale, I fear. I always believed that if American democracy were to ever fall, it would begin a domino-effect with other democracies around the world following suit. That’s what I expect to see now. I’m sure putin and xi and kim and orban and milei and meloni and netanyahu and others are celebrating right now.

      Is there any hope left, Russ?

      I appreciate your kindness and candidness, my friend. Thank you for your support, especially at this time. Truly grateful to you.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. Thanks, Diana. Like I mentioned before, being emotionally numb most of the time means when bad thing happen it takes a couple of days for them to really hit home for me. It was a matter of how I’d handle the emotions when they finally arrived.

      I was reading the comments in a YT video where folks from foreign lands were expressing such compassion for the loss of American democracy, people trying to comfort us. I was nearly brought to tears and it was gut-wrenching. My choices seemed to be giving up (and whatever may follow surrendering) or finding a way to get through this and fight back. I thought I’d repost this piece since it’s more relevant now than when I wrote it in March. If it opens the floodgates and allows me to start writing again, that would be a blessing.

      I never wanted my blog to become a political blog. This is my safe place, and hopefully a safe place for those who come here to visit. However, I’m sure there will be more pieces that address what’s happening here and around the world concerning the disturbing trend of nations shifting to the far-right and embracing fascism and worse. I still hope to find something of beauty to write about, and my hope is I’ll be able to recognize beauty through the fears and tears of the current darkness.

      As always, thank you for your support, my wonderful friend. I appreciate you.

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply

      1. My blog is also supposed to be non-political, Mike, but sometimes it’s impossible (and unhealthy, I think) to just pretend we’re okay when we’re not, to pretend that these terrible things aren’t happening. And poetry is emotional, isn’t it? The best of it anyway. It’s supposed to move us, to make us think, and more so to make us feel. So write away, my friend. Hugs.

        Liked by 3 people

      1. Thank you for sending me to that poem, Mike.
        “To hear the faint sound of oars in the silence as a rowboat / comes slowly out and then goes back is truly worth / all the years of sorrow that are to come.”
        The lesson in that is profound, isn’t it? We must notice the immense beauty even while even while surrounded with sorrow. That’s hard to do without weeping for both.

        Liked by 2 people

    3. Those were the lines that hit me the hardest, too. The bad guys have taken so much away from us already. We can’t allow them to take away our appreciation of wonder and beauty. To shamelessly quote one of my own poems:

      but you shall not have
      my quicksilver trees
      and lavender skies
      my sickle moon dozing
      above autumn wheat fields
      my green silence
      in konara copses
      my humming leas
      of flea bane and lupine
      and forest-carpet ferns
      these are mine
      forever

      you there

      you will destroy me
      in the end
      but my world
      will live on
      free of your rage and
      blight and bluster
      and that is
      all that matters

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

    1. Thanks, Cindy. I feel lost right now, unmoored, as though this country has drifted away from sanity and into some kind of horrific darkness. It’s inexplicable and yes, I’m incredibly angry that this was a choice by so many Americans. We’ve lost our collective minds…

      Like

      Reply

  12. Michael L. Utley, you are a great poet and I am glad I found your blog. Your poem above carries so much beauty and strength , yet tells us about your land falling to fascism and lies.
    “ its voice the sound of screams and champing teeth
    its appetite for wrath insatiable. “

    And the poor white dove is trampled in the dirt.

    Miriam

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Thanks so much, Miriam. It’s been really rough here recently, and no one really knows what’s in store for us here in the States or for the world now that fascists are taking over America. All I have is my voice, and I’m not even sure if that’s enough to matter anymore. This poem was born of frustration, fear and desperation. Unfortunately, the people who most need to read it will never see it. America has chosen this path, and it’s a sorrow I’ve never felt before. Things are changing, and there will be darkness, and I hope we can somehow overcome it in the end.

      Thanks for your kind words. I truly appreciate it.

      Like

      Reply

Leave a comment