Violence of Mind

Once a nation
Supremely white as driven snow,
Singularly Christian, white and male,
Purely untarnished, and aglow,
Grandeur unparalleled in fairytale.

Hence a grievance
Punitively bold as bloody hellfire,
Potently prosecuted in seats of power,
Oppressively waged against objects of ire,
Prisms of nonwhites seeking justice in the hour.

Now a leader
Colossally void as sterilized weaponry,
Glibly sanctions white phobia and rage,
Lethally inflames this proto-fascist fancy,
As corporations provide aid to the rampage.

Thus a faction
Devoutly for leader, they stand down,
Steadfastly ready for the order to kill,
All woke-ish elitists, and enemies black and brown,
That white men reclaim their rightful place at the till.

Violence of mind
Shocks no one in America,
Where thugs are part of romantic lore.
With our ascendant authoritarian replica,
Are we ready for what washes ashore?

Thomas Wells’s forthcoming poetry book “Complexions of Being,” is scheduled for publication by Yorkshire Publishing. His poetry credits also include Caesura Journal, PS: It’s Poetry, a poetry anthology, Dissident Voice, The Magnolia Review, The Opiate Journal, and Tuck Magazine. His poetry has won Poetrysoup.com contest awards. Over the decades, his poetry has appeared in small journals including Visions International, Cafeteria, Gargoyle, and West End Magazine. In 1982, he published a chapbook of poetry titled "Native Steel" available from Black Buzzard Press. Read other articles by Thomas.