Missed the Exit
Climate changed blooms
come a month too soon
forsythia flowers died
the year Trump won election
tampered in his favor
by Russians and traitors
refugees had no place to go
Their numbers grew
as glaciers diminished
in a tsunami of sorrow
while people like me
wrote poems while driving
in carbon spewing cars
We rode behind tractors
in intractable times
we slowed to watch
the landscape pass
but didn’t
hit the brake
____Colleen Redman / Poets United / Imaginary Gardens with Real Toads
March 26th, 2017 9:54 am
Strong last verse… a dark portrayal of the times.
March 26th, 2017 12:12 pm
Incredibly potent!
March 26th, 2017 1:03 pm
Yes… we so many not living by our standards… but it’s even harder to write poetry on bicycles….
March 26th, 2017 1:07 pm
A powerful political statement, so well presented!
March 26th, 2017 2:26 pm
I appreciate this one, Colleen. It is a commentary on so much that is happening today. Yes, one can still write poetry in carbon spewing cars…..and trump is going to lower emission standards even more so that we can all choke ourselves in carbon waste while he and his cronies plan how they can steal more from the middle class telling them it is for their own good.
March 26th, 2017 3:25 pm
And not hitting the brakes as a species is our undoing….great social commentary, Colleen. i especially love the tsunami of sorrow.
March 26th, 2017 5:04 pm
You should drive behind tractors more often if this is the result!
March 26th, 2017 6:22 pm
You’ve perfectly captured our sad times, Colleen. Every day, the news is dark and each day after gets darker. Must we see the darkest day in order to effect change? Emails from the DCCC, ACLU, PEN America, NEA, and so many more, pour in. Sunday through Saturday, dozens.
The shining light is younger people and more women getting involved at ground zero. And now, yes!, women in droves seeking office. It will happen, the change we want to see, it will. 😉
March 26th, 2017 9:51 pm
You got that right! 🙂
ZQ
March 27th, 2017 2:50 am
I fear you are right.
March 27th, 2017 10:41 am
What an excellent summation of the times in which we live.. 2017 is still suffering the fallout from 2016.
March 28th, 2017 12:03 am
This reminded me. I read a poem, awhile back, written for President Trump. It was the poet’s last poem, before packing up his words into a sack and heading off to parts unknown. It’s title, “Dictators Don’t Understand Poetry”. Now for your poem, well, it has a pointy stick. Keep plugging away.
Oh, as for ‘Dictators Don’t Understand Poetry’…..they do you know. Historically, the poets voice has always been on the Top Ten ‘to be silenced’ list.
March 28th, 2017 10:11 am
we slowed to watch
the landscape pass
but didn’t
hit the brake
So many distractions spewed by DT that one gets caught in his deception without even trying.
Hank
March 28th, 2017 10:46 am
The last few lines in your poem reminded me of when I used to live in a small farming community in Minnesota. Political unrest doesn’t stop when you leave the big cities.
March 28th, 2017 11:10 am
It seems you captured the feeling of questionable leadership mixed hypocrisy by the people. To me, this is a reminder to do everything I can do for good regardless of who’s in charge.
March 28th, 2017 11:52 am
Very well described!
March 28th, 2017 11:57 am
Powerful portrayal of current times..!
March 28th, 2017 2:41 pm
Gets the message across that we are all complicit…in some way…from top to bottom. Nicely done!
March 28th, 2017 5:15 pm
A powerful and honest portrayal of our times and our responses…or lack thereof.
March 29th, 2017 8:02 pm
[…] paul scribbles on Missed the Exit […]
April 3rd, 2017 1:36 am
Well said, sad.
March 8th, 2023 10:17 am
Love this. Sadly it’s true.