I Am Not Ok, by Catherine Wilson

I Am Not Ok

by Catherine Wilson

I am not ok with tanks parading in my nation’s capitol.

Flashes of Nazi, Fascist, and Communist displays

juxtapose themselves too easily onto

the Washington Mall for my comfort.

I am not ok with the racism, sexism,

and other polarizing and exclusionary “isms”

whose ugly shouting is being elicited

by the current swarm supporting the man in the White House.

I am not ok with children being put behind fences

after being torn away from their parents

who did nothing but seek asylum.

Is this who we are, America?

If so, Lady Liberty has become nothing but false advertising.

Putting human beings into camps is not who I am.

And who I am is not ok with short-sighted destruction

of protections for our dwindling wilderness.

I am not ok with the ways we are poisoning

our air, our soil, our water, and our food.

I am not ok with the disappearance of truth-telling in the press

and its replacement being propaganda.

I am not ok with so many things.

I am angry and terrified that so much hate, fear and ignorance

is dictating public policy.

(I chose “dictating” carefully.)

Here is what I want –

a government and public servants who truly want to be of service

to the Whole rather than only the privileged.

I want people who have power to feel responsible

for looking at a problem and how we can work together to solve it

rather than making “the other” the problem.

I want to live in a country where leaders say it’s not ok

to poison the air, soil, water and food.

Who take action to protect human rights and dignity.

Who would rather have national parks than tank parades.

Who are more curious than judgmental.

Who are more compassionate than self-absorbed.

I am not ok with so many things.

And I am no longer ok being silent about it.

I am not ok, and I’m going to do something about it.