PROGRESSIVE STANCE (a poem)

by Ruth Sheets

Go forward not backward, the progressive theme

We hang with reality, don’t stay caught in a dream

Appreciate others, what they have to say

Believe men and women should get equal pay 

Working hard forty hours should let one live well

And one’s working conditions should not be a hell

High minimum wage is the right thing to do

And supporting more unions would help us all too

Know science is key to the progress we make  

Our earth is worth saving, our lives are at stake. 

Your rights must end where my rights begin

Choose what’s best for my body, it isn’t a sin 

One should not be judged by condition of birth

Race, age, or gender should not mark one’s worth.

A fact is a fact and a lie is a lie

They can be distinguished but you’ll have to try.

When you do something wrong you must answer for it

If you claim lies are true, let your punishment fit 

Criminal justice is rare if you’re black

Cops maintain law and order, a knee on your back

Police should be serving not ruling the town

Not immune for their actions toward Black, Gold, and Brown

President Trump should be out of the way.

He lost fair and square last Election Day

Insurgents invaded the Capitol ground

They need to be jailed; there was video found

Our Government’s size lets it do lots of good

Taking care of our people, it’s right that it should

Learning to compromise, to negotiate

Make a positive deal then go celebrate

Conservatives claim that money is speech

Which adds to corruption, extending their reach  

Easy voting should be each American’s right

So stopping suppression is everyone’s fight

If we’re fair, the Electoral college is through  

‘Twas designed to give slavery states more than their due

Your religion should never be foisted on me

Not its laws nor exclusions, indefinitely  

It’s time we grow up and put war aside

Stop making more weapons, that’s just suicide

The “War on Drugs” was a disaster you know

‘cause destruction and drugs continue to flow

Guns are a bad habit for folks on the Right

Concealed, open carry, but just if you’re white

Our climate is warming that’s not what we need 

We’ve let fossil fuelers destroy with their greed

Ecosystems collapsing and more species die

We humans have done this, too much wet too much dry 

Wildfires and floods are now stalking our land

Depriving our kids of the future they planned

So we must step up, precious planet to save

Or we’ll have created an unending  grave

L-G-B-T-Q have plenty to say

So do women, disabled, and kids, by the way  

Race is a challenge America faces

And Conservatives like to prioritize races

They don’t want our schools to discuss our dark past

They want their position above all to last 

But excluding non-whites can’t go on any longer

We all know diversity makes us much stronger

Let’s call a patriot, one who can see

That the goal we should strive for is equality 

So with empathy, integrity, and care we stand tall

Progressives!  Work toward a great future for all!