Thomas Piekarski

INSURRECTION

Everyone has a little insurrectionist in them,
rejection of status quo and unwillingness to
comply with bad laws or antiquated customs.

We’re constantly bombarded with horrendous
propaganda, insidious edicts, sham medicines,
misinformation, shaky politicians, AI delusion,
advertisement overload, police brutality, graft.

It doesn’t take a Harvard professor to point out
the myriad of sinister plots swirling, podcasts
and bogus news streaming through fiber cable.

One’s blood will heat beyond the boiling point
as impulse takes over, anger amplified by fear
of being hijacked by a corrupt, sinister regime.
People protest, but the thugs show no remorse.

Patience doesn’t work. That’s been tried before.
Some will sit and grow fat watching TV movies,
ignore what comes and goes, spaced out, mute,
delighted to let time pass right between the ears,
hiding in ignorant negation of pending disaster.

The insurrectionist is not one of them, will seize
weapons with which to wage battle, then cry out
for brothers and sisters to join his army, prepare
for the fight no one can deny is at hand, freedom
at stake, no way to retreat except through fiery
gates of infamy. He will not hesitate while lives
are yet lost to forces whirling them into the void.


Thomas's YouTube reading of "Insurrectionist"


Thomas confesses: This poem deals with our challlenges as a nation and who will step forward to preserve it.

Thomas Piekarski is a former editor of the California State Poetry Quarterly. His poetry has appeared in hundreds of publications, including Modern Literature, Poetry Salzburg, Creation Magazine, The Museum of Americana, South African Literary Journal, Home Planet News, and California Poets Anthology. His books of poetry are Ballad of Billy the Kid, Monterey Bay Adventures, Mercurial World, Aurora California, and Opus Borealis.