Let Their Children's Children Decide

Enjoy Your Inheritance...

let your children's children's children decide who was now right or dead wrong -

should they ever be born and learn to read, should they even grow up

ask them what it is like in the land that we carved up from coast to rich coast

get their opinion on our furiously confusing petroleum-powered lifestyle

poll them about what we did when all the fish were gone or poisoned

listen to what they say of the animals they know of only in books and zoos

discuss with them the agricultural contamination they congenitally inherited

talk about toxic landfills also filled with half eaten foods and tons of recyclables

question them over paying off your credit card by refinancing your home

prompt them about ignoring the increasingly hot, dry and windy weather

feel them out about the green revolution and the value of large human numbers

probe them concerning their legacy from the turn of the 21st Century

listen to their bewilderment regarding our runaway military spending

ask them which are the lands of the free and where the brave actually lived

have them detail consumerism's contribution to our legacy for humanity

have them name one media event that millions of you sat haplessly glued to every week

get them to list out the issues we knew and ignored which now plague them every day

let them judge us only on our actions, should they suspect our motives

determine if they find us quaint but levelheaded or foolish and short-sighted

find out if they still emphasize expensive form over boring substance

ask them about the wisdom of our nationalistic intolerance

get their opinion about the cheap fast foods that we grazed upon into a proud obesity

poll them about our exterminating the smiling chimps and the quiet orangs

listen to what they say about the birds they can only hear now in old recordings

discuss with them the toxic runoff our pavements dumped into their channelized rivers

talk about the plastic litter we casually tossed that they still find everywhere they go

question them over the wisdom of leasing a new gas-guzzler every second year

prompt them about ignoring the heavy metals & coal-fired mercury in a mother seals milk

feel them out about our policy of righteous and reactionary, preemptive exceptionism

probe their feelings about what we did for so long to the cows, pigs and chickens

listen to their questions about how corporations took over the government

ask them to name the countries that they can actually admire from our times

get them to list all the ways our political religious right has blessed their lives

have them name a scientist and one corporate leader that lived among us

have them list out the benefits of an ever-increasing world population

let them judge us by our legacies should they have forgotten our empty rhetoric

determine if they still feel that abortion really is an overriding and very public issue

find out if they think we left them a chance to have at least what we had

ask them what those we called conservatives actually preserved for them

get their opinion on the affects of global aquaculture methodology

poll them about the brains of cetaceans and our killing them in the name of canned tuna

listen to what they have experienced with regard to the climate change we scoffed so hard

discuss with them the state of the lands left to them by our conglomerate farming

talk to them about the wisdom of subsidizing the export of our manufacturing

question them on the enduring vision of real estate salesmen and land developers

prompt them about the consequences of ignoring where your food is coming from

feel them out regarding what decisions god should make in a proper government

probe their feelings about which creatures actually possess real souls

listen to their questions about the ratio of paid lobbyists to politicians

ask them why we always spent more on dEfense than all the others put together

get them to list all the benefits of putting a plastic flag decal on an imported car

have them name some old multinationals that inspire their admiration

have them list out the benefits of corporate medicine over family doctors

maybe they can judge our actions not on what remains but by our perceived benefits

determine if they feel that we just stood by as millions died of non-profitable diseases

find out what they hold in honor and see if we used it in our marketing

let any surviving children decide and whoever writes the history be our judges

for we are not about to be stopped in this, our own righteous pursuit of individual happiness

Bleeding Heart Coward

I changed my opinion on another important issue again, not too very long ago

I think I might be a gutless wonder who would have us blindly cut and run

Flag burning does not upset me as much as I know in my heart that it should

For some shameful reason, gay marriage does not loom large on my radar

I eat a lot of vegetables and fruit so I probably don’t think quite straight

Sipping green tea instead of Big Gulps has destroyed my masculinity

My hybrid seems real quiet and I don’t even want a hotrod muffler to crank it up

I never even thought of not paying off my credit card bill on time every month

The mere noise of our putative progress perturbs my squishy thinking

I don’t even own a single gasoline-powered form of so-called outdoor recreation

I admit I waste my time, space and energy trying to help out - by foolishly recycling

I really haven’t searched much, at all, for my very own personal Savior to accept

I want people to be nicer to the cows and pigs, but abortion does not inspire me

I foolishly spend more on food marked organic, whatever that word might mean

I suffer from these fantasies about slashing money from our dEfense budget

It even seems to me a tiny hatchback carries groceries more easily than a giant pickup

I often find it difficult to stand by old decisions when I am faced with newer facts

I just can’t escape the delusion that I really don’t have any choice in healthcare

I don’t celebrate my freedom by blowing up things built just to make a lot of bright noise

I, too, interpret my resigned silence as a sign of contemptibly weak and passive acceptance

I often must suspend belief and cannot make a decision due to lack of certainty

I am too frightened to go and kill civilians or be killed by invisible terrorists

Sometimes I get wishy-washy and confused over which one true god is on whose side

I am more concerned with clean air and water than the ten commandments

My thinking has grown fuzzy from considering too many facts and opinions

I guess I really cannot do the math because I can’t ignore so many variables

The pointless carnage makes me ill but still, I’d like for us to see the dead from both sides

I am willing to give them birth control rather than building outsourced prisons

I’m not fat or hypertensive and maybe that’s why I don’t hate the heathens

I don’t happen to believe that a sustainable lifestyle is a threat to my testosterone level

I often try to get out of the way of other drivers who seem to be in a real hurry

I am happy to put the old and/or discontinued back into useful service

I flip-flop among relativistic versions of the everlasting truth

I whimper with trepidation that my beliefs are not handed down from their heaven

I am afraid to chainsaw the remaining forests and drain off all the unproductive wetlands

I often waste time fretting foolishly about overpopulation and habitat destruction

I fear the smart bullets of the men with laser helmets and heavy combat boots

I’m not sure why, but I think I might have reason to worry over my loss of privacy

Quite often I prefer lentil or pea soup to tortured factory beef

I find it difficult to take on evangelical conviction and hard to believe official policy

NASCAR, pro football and Harleys are not among my entertainment favorites

I do not celebrate my newest leased car with overpriced drinks and dinner

I admit that I think it’s just wrong to spend more on weapons than all the other lands combined

I’m not looking for a place in any cemetery much less the honor of Arlington

Suits and ties and project plans and corporate policies seem vainly-artificial to me

I’m frightened of drilling out what oil remains before finding any alternative

I’m too timid and bleeding heart for this Shock&Awe business of preemptive dEfense

Non-point pollution sources like huge parking lots are among the silly concerns of mine

I just don’t see those great new jobs replacing all the off-shored for bonuses positions

I wonder about kids who do not learn, yet do not have time to be children

I wish I, too, could let go of the boreal toads, spotted owls and snail darters

I take little pride in our military strength and do not wish to be the world’s sheriff

I admire dedicated nurses and firefighters but lack trust for greedy developers and lobbyists

I have a recurring vision of an oncoming dark age, should we even survive our merry way there

I lack the stomach for dropping laser-guided bombs on targets I only see on a touchscreen

I am a coward but I would grab a torch and pitchfork to help hang the lawyers

I am against twisting and silencing science to suit a profit-driven, donor industry agenda

My regime would not encourage gambling, subsidize tobacco or promote guzzling gasoline

Foolishly, I worry more about our methods and effects than grabbing all I can, as fast as I can

Timidly from beneath a rock I squeak weakly at the thunderous passing herd

They laugh at me from their SUVs in my beat up old japanese economy car

The clerks shake their heads in disbelief as we reuse tattered grocery bags

I am afraid to refinance my credit card with the vaporous equity from my home

As they say, my squishy agenda has little benefit but costs lots of jobs and far too much money

The trucks downshift noisily and blow smoke as they sneeringly blow by me on my bicycle

Whole families laugh when they make the waves that rock our small canoes

Sadly, it makes no sense to me to drive a 3 ton diesel over to the mall

A small shrill inner voice keeps telling me that Ethanol won’t really help us at all

I selfishly fear for my own rights as we deal with those unlawful combatants

Shortsightedly, I detest abandoned mining sites that resemble old war zones

I catch myself chuckling over this whole Traditional Family Values ad campaign

Why, I even waste time fretting over disappearing frogs and the loss of our songbirds

I foolishly ask what will Jesus say when we leave behind only debts and destruction

They brush me back with their cars as I wimpily walk alongside their roads

I suffer a delusion that agricultural conglomerates are really not our good stewards

They pity us for cashing in those coupons and then cooking meals at home

I whisper that free enterprise need not just reduce to a greed-centric Social Darwinism

I squeak that human numbers far exceed capacity and will soon be corrected naturally

I fear that I would lose my mind should I entrust my soul to Jesus

I waste time poring over maps and considering faroff places that I may never visit

Marketeers despise us and quickly write us off in front of their esteemed investors

I have foolishly determined not to pay a penny to any oily funeral home director

I talk about my economic better’s behind their backs because they do not look me in the eye

Alas, those repeatedly manicured, watered, fertilized & poisoned lawns seem a silly waste of time

I shamefully admit I prefer a short walk rather than a long ride on a noisy ATV

I waste time taking a deep breath with my eyes closed, listening to the gentle rain

I would need powerful drugs to make cookie-cutter convenience stores look like progress

My sandals look weak and stupid but they keep my feet cool & healthy in the summer

I do not share the hate and fear of those whose lands my fellow citizens cannot even find on a map

Sadly, I won’t be charging a facelift, getting botoxed or painting over all my gray

Salads and cereals fill my timid stomach just as well as tubed hamburg and hydrolyzed chips

I suffer a delusion that animals have as many rights and as much soul as, we the people

We remain at home on weekends as others grimly pursue their angry wreckreation

I wander the roadless lands that they contend are inaccessible and non-productive

We are the despised deadbeats who pay off their credit cards every month

Timidly, I second-guess the policies I quietly did not support in the first place

My whispered mention of the single payer healthcare system is derided in their scripted debates

The evocative cry of a wild loon means more to me than some wack cell ringtone

Our reality shows involve nature and science and not witless attention seekers

I waste time making my own bread instead of drinking their soul-free corporate beer

Laughably, I even lament the noise of our progress that forces us to all this shouting

Unbelievably, I would actually take the time and effort to bring back the stars in the night sky

Though quite properly ignored, I suggest that our 2 party system is not constitutionally enshrined

They quickly warn of jobs and money when I mention the mercury in all of our waters & kid’s brains

Childishly I pray for a certain morality to somehow infuse the enshrined greed that drives us

I even support global treaties on chemical warfare, land mines and kid’s rights that we rejected

I am a yellow quitter who never supported our pre-emptive defensive war of liberation

My half-baked ideals blind me to man’s real nature and would put good families at grave risk

I quietly mention a flat tax on emissions to the terrible scorn of tougher citizens

I actually care what my direct ancestors, the Europeans, think of us - Now isn’t that a joke

Softly, and in Spanish, I say to them you should learn to speak English if you live in this country
So you see, as a true bleeding heart coward, I conspire to a squishy & expensive socialist agenda

Buying My Implanted Dreams

buy a new big truck as part of the lifestyle of a hard-nosed account manager

eat a double cheese meat lovers pizza and become like a pro football player

drink a lot of beer and attractive women will flock to have sex with you

burn dirty coal in old power plants for a more patriotic environment

take little red sugar pills, eat what you want and lose that fat while you sleep

invest your money with slick, friendly strangers and they will ensure your future

treat your entire family to a traditional fast food meal you picked up coming home

ask your doctor about that advertised drug and you’ll never get old and sick

make just one more electronics purchase and you will achieve technical nirvana

eat more factory beef and believe you support ruggedly-indepenent American ranchers

buy a new performance sedan and act like a character from some slick action movie

buy everything your child wants and you will demonstrate your love for them

order today before it's too late because it's just once in a lifetime

unwrap a snack anytime you just feel the need to get away

spend your money on something because someone else saw the same ad

listen to the music that sponsors want played before and after their pitches

buy a new gas guzzling jeep or you don't really care if you’re rugged & your family is safe

listen to their music and join the community, where nobody even knows you

pay off your credit card by refinancing your house then charge some more without any guilt

use what they advertise and you’ll be living just like the TV stars – in your tired modular

buy one of these or, if you really prefer, you can just remain a chump and a moocher

eat out often as corporate food prepared by dropouts will enrich your life

for real players like you, home equity is for vacations, not for saving, like some loser

"hire" a broker and he will be with your for now and forever

learn the issues well from 30 second soundbites and then go out and vote your "conscience"

buy a new car because they advertise so much that it must really be quite important

save tons of money by rolling your credit debt over to a different card with lower interest

trowel more grease, powder and paint on your face and it will keep you young

get your child a happy meal so they can bring up kids to take there, too

pick up that sugary cereal for 8 bucks a box and achieve family harmony

buy frozen meals and save precious time to spend watching even more ads in HD

purchase a computer and you will surely start learning things on internet

put on some expensive new imported clothes and start feeling better about your true self

sharing excessive quantities of the same brand of beer will cement your true friendships

smoke outside your school because they paid actors to show cigarettes in a movie

buy a 3 ton SUV for 45k and go find your freedom almost offroad in the shattered wilderness

hurry and buy a bigger new house based on real estate advertisement hyperbole

increase sexual pleasure and big pharmas bottom line by popping their pills      

ask your doctor about a drug you learned nothing about in an expensive tv ad

shop at the grocery store where pleasant music soothes you in every snack aisle

spend way too much on a boring cruise and get food poisoning while acting rich

waste time and money on golf with phonies who pretend it all makes sense

invest your thought and emotions on sports events for years but never ask if it makes any sense

get cash back and more horsepower when you buy now with nothing down

buy more than you need then throw away what’s left over, after it has spoiled

Charge off a true family adventure shoving your way thru a corrupt Disneyland fantasy

pay full retail to get this years sports gear like it would make any real difference

get an expensive new cell phone so others can hear you talking nonsense

throw 25 grand at a big macho Harley, then dump it in your driveway

swill caffeine and donuts and buy yourself a yoga class 5 times a month

go out for expensive lunches 3 days a week and call yourself a conservative

pay full price for designer clothes to advance your so-called career

lay out your credit card for the drinks and dinner, because that makes you feel like a player

watch what's on tv because ads made it seem as if many others also do

pay big bucks for private schools and believe your kid will notice a difference

give a premium for designer foods made with extra calories and artificial colorings

spend your money to save time - as if that account were building up somewhere for later

stay in 5 Star hotels and eat well when you vacation, since you work so hard you truly deserve it

‘invest’ all you can borrow on a stock tip about which you know nothing at all

never save a penny and think you can retire at 51 if you start planning at 45

Sorry That The World We Leave You...

sorry that the world we leave you

          is less than the one that we got

sorry that the fish are poisoned and

          grandma's house is gone

sorry that the farms are bulldozed and

          all you can see are miles of suburbs

sorry that it's all so expensive

          and all the good stuff is gone

sorry that we built it all out

          and you find stripmalls everywhere

sorry that the place is crawling

          with way too many people

sorry that the birds and frogs

          have all gone far away

sorry that that favorite lake of your childhood

          is surrounded by our huge houses

sorry that the stars are gone

          because of all the lights

sorry that we armed the world

          but left you without healthcare

sorry that you cannot find

          a quiet place to fish

sorry that we filled the air

          with poisons from our cars

sorry that we turned the farm

          into a corporate concentration camp

sorry that we sat by numbly

          3 hours every day, watching television

sorry that we lost the skein

          that bound us to our past

sorry that it got so warm

          all the lovely glaciers melted

sorry that the tigers left

          and the rhinos shuffled off

sorry that the orangs split

          and the leopards can't be found

  

sorry that you are so many

          that the earth cannot provide for you

sorry that we stripped the wilderness

          before you got to see it

sorry that our life's desires

          were no more than commercial fantasies

sorry that there's not much water

          and most of it is simply filthy

sorry that we fed you food

          that was full of chemicals and pesticides

sorry that you'll always find

          our discarded plastic on the ground

sorry that we didn't teach you

          the frugal ways of our grandfolks

sorry that the sun's so hot

          and the rain has ceased to fall

sorry that we used up the oil to drive to work alone

          spewing smog and sipping coffee on the phone

sorry that we could not tell

          between the bigger and the better

sorry that you learned from us

          that learning is for losers

sorry that we gave control to

          the faceless conglomerates that now under-employ you

sorry that in your empty lives

          you can only search for fun

sorry that you have spent far more time

          playing video games than reading

sorry that we raised you by example

          to be as ruinous as us

sorry that we never saved a penny

          and now expect that you to support us

sorry that if you even listened now that we are old

          we never took time to think of what we would say

sorry that you missed the time

          before we came this way