Pause for poetry:
Michael Hawkes /21

The Times We’re In

A poem by Michael Hawkes

We ricochet from rage to rage,
between the horrors of the age,
against the leaders on the stage,
against the wicked wars they wage,

against the theft and patronage,
corruption at the orphanage
the hospital, the hermitage;

against the suffering of hostages,
against the services ,the outages,
the interest on mortgages,

against anyone with epaulettes,
the price of lawyers, dentists, vets,
the rising cost of college debts,

against taxes on our cigarettes,
the euthanasia of pets
and frying pans that come in sets,

against all the evils there to vex us
like punches to the solar plexus
and those shootings down in Texas,

so many crazes one forgets
to send off to the letters’ page
expressions of such futile rage.

14/01/21 – Hawkes [thanks to Stephen Lewis]

Feature image: Hossam el-Hamalawy via StockPholio.net

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Michael Hawkes - WestmountMag.ca

Michael Hawkes was a cherished poet and contributor whose work enriched the pages of WestmountMag.ca with its sensitivity and depth. Over the years, he entrusted us with a rich body of poems, of which only a portion has yet been published. His passing leaves a profound void, but the poems still to come will continue inspire all who were moved by his voice.