Tag: government

Uncategorized

CD2 Assembly

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Photo by Hart Van Denburg, CPR News.

CD2 Assembly

hundreds of us Zoom in
to send Joe back to Washington

there’s no one else we want
we just must jump through hoops
to check the boxes
to make it so

I explain to Cedar
I’m taking dinner in the guest room
because I’m saving democracy
(I’m not, but Joe may)

the morning after the fire
Polis, Neguse, Bennet
grim in the chopper
yet still reassuring –
citizen leaders who understand warming
have a healthy fear of climate change
and aren’t afraid to make good trouble

we’ll send them back into the firefight
at least one more round

poetry, Uncategorized

who’s to blame

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who’s to blame

it’s disturbing
but for now they’re right

on some of the plots where people chose
to opt out of the county’s help
the earth hasn’t yet been mulched,
still ready for the wind to carry contaminated cinders
to the edge of town and beyond.
(shake your head here)

but on other opt-out-plots it turns out
everything has already been smoothed away –
twisted metal unscrewed from earth
ashes carried away by truck not air –
and they’re ahead of the county-trusting curve now

you know, they called it:
interference, delay, graft –
just as they suspected
but not who:
it’s business (as usual) not government
trying to squeeze more money from tragedy
carving another scar before the land can heal

poetry

light bulb / flame

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light bulb / flame

when the caucus trainers
are younger than the caucus goers
so young, in fact, they’ve likely never voted,
the trainers ask the trained
what it will be like

but we don’t know –
we’re only familiar with the old-fashioned in-person kind
where Peter Lewis held up a sign
with our precinct number
and we all filed down the public school hallway
to our assigned classroom
then fit ourselves into other people’s desks
and raised our hands to vote now and then

we don’t know how to caucus in a Zoom window
how to vote via chat
but we do know how to be real together

so when one woman asks
what to say about the mayor’s stance on rebuilding after the fire
it’s not too surprising when the mayor suddenly appears
to answer us herself

poetry

To Our Mayor

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To Our Mayor

We know your heart holds
a thousand holes
as ash settles on us all.

It would be fair if you felt the flames
one burden too many,
if you asked why this, why now?

Instead we see you on the tv
confident and grateful
patient and protective

ably leading us
away from the brink.

We see how you suffer for us –
the late nights and early mornings,
the thick binders, the endless weeds.

You’re our own Jacinda
and we love you.
You’re engineering us a future.
You’re saving us a home.

poetry

Hashkiveinu* for Jared Polis

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Hashkiveinu* for Jared Polis

putting our lives back together
one pillowcase plate and
disconnected pipe at a time

while around us
we feel America
falling apart

how strong
will the blue bruise of Boulder
stand

against El Paso and Weld’s red
in this fairly purple state
that, despite its
humbling mountains
still has its share
of selfish bastards
is still enamored of
cowboys and renegades
western liberty and
the exceptionalism
you find in open spaces

thank you, God, for
our Boulder-born governor

Grant, O Governor, that we lie down in peace,
and raise us up, our Governor, to life renewed.
Spread over us the shelter of Your peace.
Guide us with Your good counsel;
for Your Name’s sake, be our help.
Shield and shelter us
beneath the shadow of Your wings.
Defend us against enemies,
illness,
war,
famine
and sorrow.
Distance us from wrongdoing.
For You, Governor,
watch over us and deliver us.
For You, Governor,
are gracious and merciful.
Guard our going and coming,
to life and to peace evermore.

*The last stanza is an adaptation of the Hashkiveinu prayer.