A Poem For Russia, Winners of the Finley Experience International Page Views Poetry Contest

To Russia: On Our Protests

It seems countries everywhere

face the bitter cronyism that tears

down civilizations one corrupt

brick at a time. Equanimous—

plenty of rhyme to exist and reason

to resist far more extravagantly

than with arms locked in front

of government buildings. The

picture begins to focus: for some,

police cameras, hovering drones;

for others, police watch as sheep

from deer stands targeting people

brazen enough to cover their faces.

Ain’t it quaint? In some places

folks fight to free their cheeks

to the wind’s caresses, in other

places they fight for their privacy

in public spaces. Here they take

for security’s sake, there they

take for the state. Liberty is never

given, just forcibly taken. Yet,

history proves, irrevocably, the people

can over-turn the tables, make

the gluttonous into hunger’s slaves.

And, turn the hungry into royalty.

Even a beggar can lead, I’d wager

more nobly than elitists, who think

everyone can borrow money

from mommy and daddy. That

mentality inbreeds the “let’em eat

cake” philosophy then plays taps

for an evolutionary death knell.