January 14: The Truth is Out There, Tracy K. Smith, "Solstice"

The new media will be greatly preoccupied this week with the impending presidential inauguration in the United States.  (I just typed "Untied States," which seems quite appropriate.)  Since the November election, I have tried to pay less attention to the daily news, although it's almost impossible to be completely oblivious.

Truth has become a very arbitrary thing in these last few months.  People glean their facts from Twitter and Facebook.  Believe it with all their hearts, too.  I find this trend very alarming.  No matter what is real, a good meme can change a person's mind.

We have become immune to the truth, even though the truth is out there.

Saint Marty may go on news blackout until next week.

Solstice

by:  Tracy K. Smith

They're gassing geese outside of JFK.
Tehran will likely fill up soon with blood.
The Times is getting smaller day by day.

We've learned to back away from all we say
And, more or less, agree with what we should.
Whole flocks are being gassed near JFK.

So much of what we're asked is to obey--
A reflex we'd abandon if we could.
The Times reported 19 dead today.

They're going to make the opposition pay.
(If you're sympathetic, knock on wood.)
The geese were terrorizing JFK.

Remember how they taught you once to pray?
Eyes closed, on your knees, to any god?
Sometimes, small minds seem to take the day.

Election fraud.  A migratory plague. 
Less and less surprises us as odd.
We dislike what they did at JFK.
Our time is brief.  We dwindle by the day.