Wednesday 3 May 2017

Stripping The Facade (May 3, 2017)

This year
We observed
The 70th anniversary
Of Jackie Robinson
Breaking MLB's
Colour barrier.

And yet
The plague of racism
Is alive and kicking.

As news of violence
Is the lead story
On the local and national
Broadcast.

In all 
Of it's ugliest form.

Whether
On the television
Or the computer screen.

Am
Not so naive
To think
It'll disappear
With a blind eye
Like some people hope.

As the message 
Is distorted
By multinational conglomerates
Spinning their version
Of the truth.

Caring only
For the bottom line
On the balance sheet
Be printed
In black ink.

While
They present
A caring veneer
To the general public
At large.

Therisa © 2017

Author's note: Some may call me, a Marxist, but my university professors, will that you that I hold the "left" and "right", under the same lens. Having been warned, in 1991, by one prof, for my sardonic essay, on Karl Marx's The Communist Manifesto that it will get me, into trouble, with the teaching establishment, at Carleton University. Rhetorically, he asked me, "how did someone so young, get so sarcastic?", when he handed back my essay, to me.

On Monday night, after the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles, Adam Jones, the all-star Oriole outfielder, shared his experience of racial harassment, by the Boston fans, in Fenway Park. Although, a small group, they shouted verbal slurs and threw peanuts, at him. I understand, it's an accepted practice to shout disparaging comments, to get the opposing team player, off of their game, but there is a fine line, between this, and hate that spew from these fans' mouth and throwing objects.

11 comments:

Susan said...

The 70th anniversary. Sigh. Thank you for taking us to the sports field and the thrown jibes it proffers. I cannot pick a section of this poem that affects me more than another--it is all a flow that makes a small space a microcosm of the whole. Love it. I appreciate the story you share in your note as well. Keep writing! I think cynicism, if scratched deeply enough, is revealed as armor over love.

Thotpurge said...

When truth is not absolute, what is left? Strong poem Therisa.

Therisa's World said...

Thank you, Susan, for the kind words. I do hope, your last sentence is true. Otherwise, I hate to think, what this means, for humanity's future.

Therisa's World said...

Thank you, Thotpurge. To answer your question, I don't know. Maybe death, chaos or something worse?

Sanaa Rizvi said...

A most strong and powerful poem, Therisa.

Magical Mystical Teacher said...

Turning a blind eye makes nothing disappear, but we foolish mortals keep hoping it will. When will we ever learn?

Sherry Blue Sky said...

A great write, Therisa, and I enjoyed your commentary as much as the poem. Sadly, news is filtered through the multinationals' preoccupation with the bottom line, which impacts the news we get fed. And the current president, with his vitriol, has given permission for people to unwrap nastiness they might not have felt as comfortable airing before. It is all a mess. Discouraging. And it takes a lot to discourage me. But trump has done it. And the fact no one is stopping him.

Old Egg said...

Sadly 100 years after the Russian revolution we can see those germs of dissatisfaction with our ways of life that may explode once again...but where?

Old Egg said...

Sadly there will always be those that seem to have a grudge against someone they see as different even those with a slight accent, colored skin or God forbid a different God to pray to! The problem is theirs not mine or yours but theirs alone.

Rosemary Nissen-Wade said...

It is very disheartening that such racism still continues. In Australia too, we have seen similar instances far too recently.

Therisa's World said...

Sadly, neither CTV or CBC have minority anchors for their late night news broadcast. And yet, not a peek is heard, about this, in Canada.

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