The year 2020 was the year
grief wrapped itself around our bones
and tightened its grip
as thousands of spirits were ripped from flesh
and hurled into the night sky

The year 2020 was also the year
the cup of injustice overflowed
with rage embracing bitterness
while history demanded
closer scrutiny

The year 2020 will be remembered as
the beginning
the end
the turning point
the arrow that pierced
hope reborn
beauty for ashes
and not simply
as the year of fires and screams

I think I saw a shooting star
A streak of light, a fallen star
A reminder of God in me, a little bit of magic

I am not a broken heart, I am not failed expectations, I am not the weight I lost

I think I saw a shooting star
I think I saw God’s existence
A reminder of God in me, a little bit of magic

I am not broken promises, I am not the broken home, I am not this year

I think I saw a shooting star
A reminder of God in me, a little bit of magic

I am the way I pretend not to care, I am a cry on the inside, I am your fault

I think I saw a shooting star
I made one wish three times, my lucky star, my little bit of magic

Why?

It’s not fair.
How could they do that?

I’m sick of being hated for existing.

Why do they hate me so much?
What did I do?
It’s not my fault.
I can’t do anything.

Why?

I could have saved her.
I failed.
Please forgive me.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

Painful is the feeling I experience when I hear the songs you left me with.

I heard someone laugh the same laugh that you did...and I felt my heart sink.

I often ponder you, wondering why I ponder you, but to no avail, I've yet to gain that answer.

It's the bite of bitter experience that I sink before; what did I do to need to go through such trivial...*******?

That's a repetitive thought that dances through my mind.

I sometimes wonder if I am blind, or if maybe I've gone crazy, but lately, I feel like I've been simply trying to decode this puzzle our scenario has placed on my heart.

I'm no longer looking for closure; it was never promised. I am looking for detachment, because I feel less human the more I'm reminded of your existence.

I hope, somehow, this is something I will laugh at in the future.

American citizens in “bread-lines” to get little boxes of food. How desperate do you have to be to join that line? The sad, generous, little boxes of nutrition. We are all human, we all need our next breath and our children’s next meal. We all need shelter.

It’s a carnival of pleasure to mock human need. Tell me my mistake.

Watch our President’s Daily Briefing. He doesn’t mention bread-lines. He chooses not to. How counterfeit is his competence. No “fire side chat”, no promise of hope. How mean is this fat, grubby, “rich” man who s*s on golden toilet seats and ignores starving Americans’ desperation.

The tyrant’s plea, as the collapse begins, is “I’m not responsible”. Tell me my mistake.

We have lost our immeasurable strength. We are become callous. We are robbed, of our better, more generous selves by narrow focus, by zero sum greed. Our collapse will be just, like verse set down in primitive times when the margin of error was clear and understood.

It’s a calm discrimination to choose carelessness. Tell me my mistake.

This unfolding viral nightmare is but one of the fires along the tree line. The encroaching environmental disaster, the loss of our political system’s integrity, the militarization of police racism.

Maybe China will do better - if I’m reading my score card correctly, it looks like they’re up next as the world’s great superpower.

My country, 'tis of thee,
Sweet land of tyranny,
Of thee I sing;
Land where my hackers live,
Land where my loyalty is,
Land where my bankers give
Let misrule ring!
My native country, flee,
To land of autocracy,
Thy name I love;
I love thy arrogance,
Thy sweet high-handedness;
Your subjugating dominance
Of thee I sing.
Let Russia swell the breeze,
And ring with Putany
Sweet brother's song;
Let lying tongues awake;
Let American freedoms take;
Let law and justice break,
Let Trump rule ring!
Allies like Moscow Mitch,
Have America in the ditch,
Let Fox News ring!
Republicanism is a b*h,
Our government for the rich,
My Lackey's be enriched
Of thee I bling!
Corruption's' God to me,
Author of tweetery,
To me thee sing.
Long may my brand be bright,
With dictator's impending night,
The fools have given me the right,
I'm  God your King!