The Reckoning
Author: Todd Hoskins Issue: 2024-11-06
The Reckoning
by Todd Hoskins
The people have spoken They are angry And fearful
Many did not speak They are angry too
We could blame Misinformation or profit-driven media Citizens United and dysregulated capitalism Fears of women Accents, different beliefs, colors, and cultures Malignant foreign actors or US imperialism Social media and the failure of the education system Musk or Trump or McConnell Corruption or greed
But their anger is justified Even if misplaced We have not honored life Our systems are broken Tectonic plates shift under our feet No matter who is tending the garden
The spiritual crisis drags along Expressed through Unimaginative governance Plunder Hopelessness Death and addiction
We wanted stability To face the crises To feel safe and secure
But rage and fear do not carefully select A best solution
Do not call the angry Stupid or ignorant
They are not simply Choosing a dictator Manipulated Or uninformed
We all know Kali In blazing fire Roaring wind Trembling earth And rushing waters Reshuffling the elements Beyond good and evil She is not reasonable
There is wisdom in millions of people Pleading for disruption Even if some may think They have found their savior
Perhaps we will thank them For hastening the reckoning
Let us join them in anger Not at each other But at what we’ve allowed
Somewhere beneath that anger Is love and life Care and hope
There is grief here too Far deeper Than one fateful election
It’s knowing who we are Is not who we thought we were
This nation was built On ambitious ideals But also rebels Vanquishers and vagabonds Opportunists and separatists
Were we ever united When we shook and took From the land The native peoples And looked the other way?
Yet the sacred persists In a smile Singing of birds Gentle breeze Touch of skin Fresh fruit Wag of a tail
The reckoning can bring life If I stay open to it
Related:
- Todd Hoskins (author)
- 2024 (year)
- Topics: Education and Learning