Tipping Point - Gail Onion

[Larry Robinson]

Tipping Point


Oh yes the trails of tears are now trails of blood.
Oh yes the defenseless will be shown no mercy.

Oh yes extinction builds fine walls.
Dead bodies of birds, butterflies, tiny frogs
starfish summer meadows spring flowers
the innocent oceans whole forests and jungles.

Their crime: to be beautiful.

Inside sanctuaries once inviolable for prayer
our brothers and sisters
kneeling sometimes with hands clasped or their heads to the ground
are gunned down.
 
Their crime: to pray to give thanks to God
		
Our sisters and brothers refugees and immigrants
are hunted terrorized condemned.

Their crimes: to seek peace safety a home for a family freedom

And those who are different in faith or form or who they love
are blamed for all the ills of the world

Their crime: to be different
		
Oh yes the dead bodies of dreamers
ripen in the desert, simmer in the sun
bleached white turn to dust.

Their crime: to dream.

beaten black and blue piles up. The river stinks
of blood rancid defenseless blood and tears.

A wall of death will not be enough.

Oh yes Saturn insatiable gorges on his children.
The homeless are scooped up like candy.
The refugees lapped like ice cream.
But it will never be enough.

This useless wall of useless fear and hate and greed.
The skull grins and squats on its ephemeral throne
on the wall of blood.

Surely we must ask ourselves have we had enough?
Is this the tipping point at last?  
	

		- Gail Onion