I do not need
Protection
More than I need
Freedom

All flourishing is mutual.
An economy of gifts
And reciprocity
Where things are not just things
With their value
But things carry the soul
Of the people who make them
And value is incalculable
Consumption
Requires community
So we all consume together
And embrace the value
In each other

Of course they are all idiots
Of course darling
The point
Is to break your morale down
And rebuild the world
According to their fantasy

Take solace
That their biggest dream
Is stagnant, frozen power forever
And nature’s temper
Cannot allow that
For long

How do I hold
All the grief inside me
The country I thought we were
The incoming wave of suffering
The crowds of plugged-ear ignorants
The stomach knots every time someone says,
“That’s not going to happen.”
“It won’t be that bad.”
Now I know
Why Cassandra wept.