I am

I found this poem by my son, Brian, when I was looking through some of his old papers. I hear his voice when reading it.

I am

I am an odd person with a hairy face,
I wonder how deep is outer space,
I hear the sound of a dinosaur's cry,
I see pterodactyls in the sky,
I want to be in a happy place,
I am, an odd person with a hairy face.

I pretend that I am a superhero,
I feel I understand the number zero,
I touch the smiling face of a bumblebee,
I worry for the happiness of my family,
I cry for the sadness of the human race,
I am an odd person with a hairy face.

I understand that being sober takes some work,
I say I never want to be a jerk,
I dream to find that special one,
I try to be a better son,
I hope to see a smile on every face,
I am an odd person with a hairy face.

I am Brian Edward Johnson

Rules for killing

It’s OK to kill children in war,
but not OK to kill a fetus.
It’s OK to kill a criminal who does not want to die,
but not OK to kill a suffering patient who does.
It’s OK to kill an ape,
but not OK to kill a human.
It’s OK to kill someone you’re afraid of,
but not OK to kill yourself.

Who made these rules?

Impostors

What is conservative about starting unprovoked wars?
Or passing on trillions in debt to our grandchildren,
or ignoring our crumbling infrastructure,
or polluting the environment we depend on for life,
or preserving fetuses while starving children,
or enriching the wealthy by robbing from the middle class?
Why do real conservatives allow their credibility
to be stolen by greedy impostors?

Adirondack Chairs

They gather in gaggles
on porches and lawns
some painted green,
pink or sky blue,
some carrying pillows
and standing in rows,
but never seating anyone.

The Perfect President

Many of his critics
call Trump an aberration,
but history suggests
he exactly represents
the American attitude
toward it’s role in the world.
Like America, he refuses
to admit his mistakes
and justifies his greed
by claiming American
exceptionalism.