All posts by Mike Varga

Vigorous 

I love this word, it is like a remnant of the past,
it explodes on the scene but never seems to last,
an application of spirit and energy and even dare
I say muscle and intellect, something now so rare.
As I climb the steps of my imagination now slow,
it once was quick, two or more, certain I’d know,
where I was going and what would be at the top,
never realizing I’d find beyond this a long drop
into a far less vigorous state, where I’d sit thinking
what I’d not give to avoid the feel of energy sinking.

 

 

The Lionesses

They are passion, they are
the future and they lie still
when they must, they lie
in wait, not to satiate their
appetite but to destroy it.

Waiting until they see it as
their turn, their time.
Lionesses formidable moving
with power sleek toward a future,
a kill, a pride of coordinated capability.

Woe is the world who so
believe it is the old lion who
rules and leads, for he is
given honor, only so long as
he may serve their needs.

He roars and makes noise,
but is nothing without them.
In his stone heart, he knows, a lioness
will one day lead, and with her sisters
they will crush their hunger with a
ferociousness never before seen.

Democracy at Risk

Farcical Fascism is still Fascism
by Charlie Sykes
The most interesting thing I heard this morning… as they discussed how Trump pursued ridiculous conspiracy theories on election fraud, including bizarre ideas that Italian satellites were changing Trump votes to Biden votes.  Laughable of course, but there were people willing to believe, willing to pursue this and willing to be his stooges in our government for the explicit purpose of overturning a free and fair election in order to maintain power, and use violence to do so… this is fascism pure and simple.   My profound fear is the next time a fascist finds his or her way to the top of our government, he or she may be more calculating and competent at manipulation of people and our government, and our democracy will die.

Fascists kill democracies.  Hitler and his Brown Shirts did exactly this in Germany of the 1930’s.  He came to power by taking advantage of runaway inflation, grievances and underlying racist lies.  Listen to Republicans trying to deflect, using inflation in equivalency to the death of democracy!

Hitler used levers of a democratic government to rise to power and then kill the democracy to become a dictator.
More recently, in the last three decades, Putin followed the same play book successfully in Russia.   Because Trump was unsuccessful and cartoonish in his approach, doesn’t make him any less of a fascist.

There is a direct line between Hitler’s Nazi’s and the MAGA crowd. If you still buy into the big lie and support the insurrection, if you still believe Trump will make America Great Again, then you are a fascist… and have no right to the term patriot.

From August 2018:

Will we learn from fascism’s history?

Never Mind

But of course you do
forgetting neither the never
nor the mind.

Never mind,
forget I asked,
don’t worry yourself.

Never mind
the pain, and continue
on, so you probably do.

Never mind
this request so needlessly
made, for I found it, as I should.

Never mind
those wasted words,
ill conceived and careless.

Never mind
but never happened
so it’s clearly forever.

Never mind
to use your mind.

 

 

Life Stream

Change is coming our way
for it is a part of life,
part of a flowing stream,
bubbling and brooking
along as the scenes change
as gravity holds us to our course,
and trees and boulders guide the way,
fairest creatures feed and nourish
from our waters, and we broker
other rivulets and bring messages
from the older times with us
as we meander in our own time
toward the grandeur of the sea.

Rage Against Tyranny

Tyranny of the minority
upon the majority.
The rain keeps raining.
The guns keep firing.
Freedoms taken,
as are innocents.

Politicians keep lying.
January 6 insurrection,
tyranny of the minority
upon the majority.
Whataboutism, prevails.
Where is Hunter’s laptop?

Immense wealth does not
satisfy, as mad men thirst
for power… tyranny of the
minority upon the majority.
Fight for our freedoms,
rage on for what is right.

Duped

When it happens, and we find out we’ve been duped,
into believing in a saviour who sold us our own fears.
Will we call it false, and a lie, and deny it happened?
Or might we have the humility to know ourselves and speak truth?
Will we move beyond the fears unfounded and threats imagined?
Or dig deeper into the morass of our own ignorance and hate?
To avoid knowing we had been duped by a man in a gold tower.
Who told us we were exceptional, as long as we were his,
who used the levers of power, for more power, and wealth.
Whose disciples now seek to reign over the doors to our fears.
These the duping doors are tragically still open.

 

Optimist

Believe politicians
Never buy extended warranties.
Buys vacation packages
… years in advance
Expect to win the Lotto
with the ticket they
forgot to purchase.

But they also, have
children and invest
in future education.
They build roads,
and infrastructure.
They vote, and pray,
and salute the flag,
trusting in all of it.

Thank God for Optimists!