JUSTICE-LOVE

JUSTICE-LOVE

CORNEL WEST

A PRINCETON PROFESSOR

SAID

JUSTICE

IS WHAT LOVE LOOKS LIKE

 IN PUBLIC

IT BROUGHT TO MIND

A POLITICIAN

BRAGGING THAT ALL WELFARE RECIPIENTS

WILL HAVE TO TAKE DRUG TESTS

THIS BAND OF NEFARIOUS NE’ER DO WELLS

CONSISTS OF SINGLE MOTHERS

UNDERPAID WORKERS

VETERANS UNFIT FOR SOCIETY

WORKERS WHOSE JOB WAS LOST

IN THE NAME OF PROFIT

RETIREES WHOSE MONEY RAN OUT

THE OCCASIONAL DRUGGIE

STUDIES SHOW THAT 2.6 PERCENT

FAIL THE DRUG TEST

WE’VE BUILT A TRAP TO CATCH A RAT

BUT CAUGHT A MOUSE

WHILE POLITICIANS FAVOR RICH

OVER POOR

WHAT ARE WE SAYING TO HONORABLE PEOPLE

WHO DID EVERYTHING RIGHT

BUT HAVE TO ACCEPT CHARITY

AND DRUG TESTS

FRANK A VOLLMER

WHO MADE YOU TALLER

WHO MADE YOU TALLER

MY PEOPLE

MY PEOPLE

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY

CREATION

WHO GAVE YOU PERMISSION

TO DETERMINE

WHO SHALL LIVE OR DIE

SING OR CRY

EAT OR STARVE

LEAD A PEACEFUL LIFE

OR HEAR GUNFIRE

THE WOLF IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING

CAME INTO CHURCH

HE MINGLED WITH THE FLOCK  

A FRIEND

THEN MADE THE GOD-LIKE DECISION

TO SLAY THE FLOCK

IS THIS WHY YOU ATE THE TREE’S FRUIT

TO LIVE THIS WAY

IS THIS WHY

I CAME TO DIE

I MADE YOU IN MY IMAGE

HOW DARE YOU

CONSIDER ONE OF MY CREATION INFERIOR

ANGELS SING MY UNTIMELY RIPPED CHILDREN HOME

WHERE NO ONE STANDS TALLER THAN ANOTHER

COME ENJOY THE WORLD

I DREAMED OF

WHEN I MADE YOU

FRANK A VOLLMER

CHRISTIAN VALUES

CHRISTIAN VALUES

ON JULY FOURTH

I WAS WATCHING A PATRIOTIC SHOW

PRESENTED BY A LOCAL CHURCH

ALL WENT WELL

UNTIL THE MINISTER

 STARTED PRAISING THE CHRISTIAN ETHICS

 OF THE FOUNDING FATHERS

BRAVE MEN CERTAINLY

BUT TO CALL THEM CHRISTIAN IDEALISTS

I HESITATE ON THAT

THEIR PRIVATE GOODNESS I WON’T DEBATE

BUT THEIR PUBLIC MORALITY I WILL

AGAIN I HONOR THEIR BRAVERY

I CALL INTO DEBATE THE FACT THAT

30 LINES BELOW THE FAMOUS QUOTE

 "ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL,"

THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

 REFERS TO NATIVES AS

 "MERCILESS INDIAN SAVAGES."

STEAL THEIR LAND

WHEN THEY RESIST

CALL THEM SAVAGES

WHO  IS THE SAVAGE

THIEF OR VICTIM

MANY OF THE FOUNDING FATHER WERE SLAVE OWNERS

AT THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

WHERE SLAVERY WAS DISCUSSED

Delegate John Rutledge of South Carolina told delegates that "religion and humanity have nothing to do with the questions" of whether the Constitution should protect slavery--it was simply a question of property rights.

THEY ACHIEVED

A COMPROMISE

ON HOW SLAVES WERE TO BE COUNTED

AS DECLARING

THAT A SLAVE SHOULD BE COUNTED

AS THREE FIFTHS OF A MAN

IMAGINE

A CHILD OF GOD’S CREATION

VALUED AS THREE FIFTHS OF A MAN

WHERE WERE THE BIBLE SCHOLARS

I HONOR THE FOUNDING FATHERS

BUT TO CALL THEM SAINTS

WOULD BE TO NOT REMEMBER THEM

WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO

TO FULFILL THE PROMISE OF AMERICA

MAY WE SET OUR SIGHTS ON THE GOAL

AND LIVE ACCORDINGLY

FRANK A VOLLMER

SNOW

SNOW

 

SNOW IS COLD

THIS FROM OUR URCHIN SCHOLAR

WHO HAD HER HAND UP

BEFORE THE QUESTION WAS ASKED

THE QUESTION ASKED

WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM BIBLE CLASS TODAY

ALLOWING FOR THE INEPTNESS OF THE TEACHER

ME

IT WAS AN INTERESTING

 FUNNY ANSWER

REMEMBERING DAYS IN CLASSROOMS

WITH YOUR HAND UP

HOPING YOU WOULDN’T BE ASKED

THE QUESTION THEN WAS

WHY DOESN’T THE SUN SET ON THE BRITISH EMPIRE

IT WAS AN IMPORTANT QUESTION IN CANADA

BECAUSE I WAS VISIBLY IN DISTRESS

SOMEONE WHISPERED

BECAUSE OF THE FOG

IN DESPERATION

THAT WAS WHAT I WENT WITH

NEED I REMIND YOU

THAT CANING WAS ALLOWED IN THOSE DAYS

MY SEAT OF LEARNING WAS WARM THAT DAY

 

BUT BACK TO MY LITTLE SCHOLAR

HOW WRONG WAS SHE

WE HEAR THE BIBLE STORIES WEEKLY

DO THEY AFFECT OUR LIVES

OR IS OUR TOTAL RECALL OF THEM

THAT SNOW IS COLD

 

FRANK A VOLLMER

The Desperate Trail (1995)

THREE ROGUES

THREE ROGUES

 

 

THREE ROGUES

ARE HANGING ON MY WALL

LIKE PICTURES FROM THE POSTOFFICE

OF NE’ER DO WELLS

ONE IS MY SON

ONE IS MY GRANDSON

ONE IS ME

ONE IS WEATHERED

ONE IS JUST GROWING

ONE SHOWS THE PAST AND THE FUTURE

HANDSOME ROGUES

THE KIND THAT MAKES MOTHERS QUAIL

AND MAIDEN PALE

BLACK KNIGHTS ALL

THEIR MOTTO

NO CORN WILL BE LEFT UNPOPED 

 

FRANK A VOLLMER

RED AND PINK

RED AND PINK

 

 

 

 

 

 

I

BEING A DEVOUT HYPOCHONDRIAC

(YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE IN SOMETHING)

CAM DOWN

WITH WHAT IS MELODIOUSLY CALLED

THE CRUD

 

I RECEIVED SHOTS IN MY BUTT

MY WIFE HAD TO STABILIZE THE NURSE AT ITS SIGHT

HAD TO BE TORN AWAY ACTUALLY

 

I RECEIVED WITCH’S CONCOCTIONS

OF PILLS AND SERUM

 

THEN I NOTICED

IN MY SPUTUM

SPOTS OF RED AND PINK

 

RED AND PINK

WHAT DO YOU THINK

 

I THOUGHT

IT’S THE END

THE DENOUEMENT

PAYUP TIME

 

AND ME

MY DEATH SCENE

NOT FULLY ORCHESTRATED

 

NO FINAL GESTURE

NO WORDS FOR ETERNITY

 

JUST THE WORDS

HE DIED OF THE EVIL

RED AND PINK

 

BUT THEN

MY SHERLOCK HOLMES MIND

WHICH MY CHILDREN TELL ME

IS

SUPERFLUOUS

I MEAN SUPERIOR

 

TOOK OVER

 

I NOTICED MY MEDICINES

WERE RED

 

REPRIEVE

REPRIEVE

I WAS AT DEATH’S DOOR

BUT CAME BACK

 

BUT I MUST ACT

ON MY LAST ACT

 

MOST UNSATISFACTORY

 

FRANK A VOLLMER