Declarations of War

I. Ambassador of Hate
I am better than you.
My face is a perfect ivory. Not too dark.
Not too white. Without blemish.
I’m better because I am a sunny day brown,
luscious and sleek.
I’m better than you because my God spoke it so,
passed down His message through mortal scribes.
I’ve declared your holy writings Satanic,
therefore I hate you.
I’m better because I’m right and you’re wrong.
Your politics are far too bleeding heart left,
and fanatical corporate right, depending on the day.
I’m better than you, because I only make love
with the opposite sex, but not too much,
because that’s a sin.
I’m better because I’m a man.
My dick is bigger and so is my gun.
I’m better because I’m the woman controlling you
with beauty that is unobtainable.
For you who are small, I have a rocket fueled fist.
For you who are big, my grappling hook will topple you.
I’m better because I own the land and the people on it,
because your pile of stuff is smaller than my pile,
because you sleep in doorways and tent cities,
because you dress funny, because you smell different.
I hate you because your pile is bigger than mine.
Yours is the gleaming castle on the hill.
You own it all and I want it.
I am better than you because you’re a tiny speck
in a monstrous corporation.
You fire fighters, you teachers, you civil servants
you steal my profits with your pensions.
You over-paid soldiers are just as bad.
I hate you because of the actions of your forefathers.
I hate you because my parents told me to hate you.
I hate you because I hate myself.
I hate you because you hate me.
I hate you because my fear is a raging fireball.
I have better bombs that can burn
us all to Hell. This is only just,
because I’m better than you.

II. Soldier of Peace
I love beautiful skins of ivory
and those in luscious shades of brown.
I love faces that are smooth as unwritten tablets,
and those with imperfections
that map journeys taken.
I honor your holy words,
though they are not mine.
All religions lead to God’s love.
And if you have no God, I love the light
that shines through your being.
I am a champion for the people.
I am a champion for free enterprise.
I relish the banter and the argument,
because your politics make me think.
I respect your choice in lovers.
Love is love, and love is good.
I love because I am man born in strength.
I love because I am woman born in beauty.
Without one there would be no human existence.
For you who are small, I offer an open hand.
For you who are big, I look up in wonder.
Though life is not equal and my pile
of stuff is bigger than yours,
I will still love you.
If you sleep in doorways or in tent cities
I will still love you.
If you dress differently, or smell funny,
I will still love you.
If your home is a castle on the hill,
and your pile of stuff is higher than mine,
I will still love you.
You may own it all, but you don’t own me.
I love this land of corporations and civil servants,
of teachers, fire fighters, realists and dreamers.
I seek to learn from the painful truths of history
and to take only the best of my parents’ teachings.
I walk my own path. I will not fear
your arsenals of hate and greed,
but persuade with weapons of compassion
and communication. I love myself and I love you.
My bombs will not explode with Hell’s fire,
but with love for all of humanity.
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