Unwanted Change

Posted byChristine BoltonPosted inBlog, PoliticsTags:, , , , , 
What hope is there
when decency and kindness
are ignored
as civility and manners
turn inwards
Rights demanded without thought
to the responsibilities of those rights
Who cares what you want, they say
As long as I’m all right
A favored expression of the selfish egotist
echoing through society
How did this become the norm?

Reality TV and social media
have turned us into self-absorbed freaks
Losing sight of acceptable boundaries
Typing ugliness with faceless opinions
while hiding in anonymity
Just because you can
Our country has changed 
Half a nation bowing to a leader
While he spews fake news from his ivory tower
An obnoxious beast
Tearing down anyone
Who does not kowtow

The MAGAs kissing the ring of a monster
who spits on our constitution
Dividing families, imprisoning the innocent
never to be seen again
Foreign students absconded on the street
by masked bogey men
and secretly shipped elsewhere
Elected politicians silenced and arrested 
for exercising their right to question or protest
Members of the world press
wrongly attacked for merely reporting the news
fired upon with bullets exploding into pepper spray

These seeds of 
unwanted change
were sown years ago
Fed with frequent doses
of racism and intolerance
they have slowly germinated
Now flourishing and spreading faster
becoming invasive
Choking the life
From this country
The land of liberty and justice for all
Has become an authoritarian state


Copyright © 2025 Christine Bolton - Poetry for Healing
All Rights Reserved

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Published by Christine Bolton

I have been writing poetry since I was a child and it has helped in the good times and bad times. I am always looking within to find the answers to life's problems and to write thought-provoking poetry and prose. Thanks for checking it out. Christine

33 thoughts on “Unwanted Change”

  3. I agree with your words, Christine. Humans are not human without decency and kindness. I’ve noticed this increasing over the years,
    ‘Rights demanded without thought
    to the responsibilities of those rights
    Who cares what you want, they say
    As long as I’m all right’.
    You’re right about reality TV and social media, too – and the obnoxious beast in the ivory tower!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thanks Kim. I have been on a political news ‘diet’ since the election last November as I couldn’t go through another 4 years like the last time he was in power. I was drained of emotion. However this time he is a million more times unhinged. Funny how that word is now synonymous with him! I still have to filter the news for my sanity but the problem is, my feelings and opinions have to come out at some point. OLN was a good outlet for them yesterday! 🫨☺️

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Wow, Christine!!! Awesome post and, Sadly, so very true!!! Thanks so much for standing up and telling it like it is!!! And we thought the 1930’s of Germany could not be repeated – Scary that we are seeing it in happen in America!!!

    Looks like Kruschcev’s prophecy is coming true???

    As Nikita Khrushchev said in 1956: “We will take America without firing a shot. We do not have to invade the U.S. We will destroy you from within”.

    😁💖💕🌹

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Chuck I knew you would enjoy it! My feelings were getting pent up and I needed an outlet 🫤 Yes these are scary times and as always history repeats itself.
      I did not know about that Krushchev quote. Wow, he was right.
      We shall overcome. I’m sure of it.
      Nice to hear from you, my friend ❤️☺️🥰

      Liked by 1 person

  10. Christine, it is an intolerable situation, what is going on here and elsewhere on the globe where our actions or inactions are directly resulting in untold deaths, starvation, homelessness. The “disappeared” from our country and everything else you said is unconscionable. Like I said to Shaun, protesting, voting, letter writing, calls to elected representatives, writing poems seems to have have only minimally slowed the death train down. Feeling so powerless right now. I’ve been listening to a Steppenwolf best of lately and came across this old song. It describes what’s been, what’s now, and what’s needed so well. John Kay, front man, and his family, escaped from fascism in Europe years ago and settled in Canada.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. What a great find Lisa, the lyrics of that song are incredible. This part stood out from the rest.

      The spirit was freedom and justice
      And its keepers seemed generous and kind
      Its leaders were supposed to serve the country
      But now they won’t pay it no mind
      Cause the people grew fat and got lazy
      Now their vote is a meaningless joke
      They babble about law and order
      But it’s all just an echo of what they’ve been told
      Yeah, there’s a monster on the loose
      It’s got our heads into the noose
      And it just sits there watchin’

      How true is that? You’re right we can get angry, write poetry, write to a congressman and senators, etc., etc. but individually we can’t do anything. With just one voice we are nameless We’ll probably have to take to the streets like they did back then and like they are doing now in California. There just needs to be more people involved, angry, motivated, determined. Not complacent. That’s what he’s banking on. 🙁

      Liked by 1 person

  11. I agree with everything you’ve so powerfully written. In his first term, I used to say, “He’s not my president. We’re better than this.” Now, even though I did NOT vote for him and participate in protests, I have to say, “He is our president and I’m ashamed to say that. And yes, this is our country right now.” And we have 3.5 years to go. Heaven help us all.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. In 1950 older people feared that Black people carried fatal diseases. (A few of them did.) People who are now active don’t even remember WHY that fear used to exist. Today people who’ve spent too much time in the D Party echo chamber fear that Rs are racists. (A few of them may be.) The Trump Train looks like America and its fuel comes from hateful stereotypes upheld by over-polarized left-wingnuts.

    Reasonable discussions of where the Ds went wrong and how they can get back into touch with their base (tend to sound like a square dance call, “Fold IN to the center! BACK to your own!”) offer hope. The echo chamber offers none. A party that has promoted David Hogg and rejected Robert Kennedy has a lot of rethinking to do.

    Like

  14. “Rights demanded without thoughtto the responsibilities of those rights”Maybe this is why the US doesn’t ratify the right to food. They don’t want the responsibility.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks for reading. I just think too many demand their rights (to bear arms) and dismiss the responsibilities that go along with those rights. To your point about the right to food, well under the current administration I can see that responsibility was never on the table. Shameful that anyone should go hungry.

      Liked by 1 person

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