24 May 2025

Rhymes with Coup

 
Alarmed by the coup we are living in,
I strap down at home and wait for the pinch
of lift-off and inevitable crash.
There is no harbor inside.  Inch by inch
 
we are priced out of safety by tariffs
and deportations.  Roofs fall and windows
blow out, but FEMA no longer assists
in times of nature’s disasters.  Although
 
now is an un-natural disaster
made for those afraid to look the coup in
the eyes and see its similarity
to fascist regimes and to genocides. 
 
Could stay-ins have made a difference in
Nazi Germany had they sniffed the air?
What could end America's racism? 
What could make a difference in Gaza? 
 
What could get me to unstrap and to walk
further than the end of my own driveway?
I open the way, but let a stand of
magnolia trees deflect my purpose.
 
Truth is, any beauty could keep me from
engaging in large issues of my time.
I strap down at home fearing the coup has
won, and spend days looking for words that rhyme. 


My blog poems are rough drafts.
Please respect my copyright.
© 2025 Susan L. Chast

4 comments:

  1. Sherry Blue Sky5/24/2025 11:21 AM

    I feel the same way, Susan - staying in feels like the only safe place, at least for now. I distract my grief with nature's beauty, yet the grief never leaves. The idea of the lift-off and the inevitable crash is so perfect. Such fine writing. A stand of magnolia trees sounds beautiful indeed.

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  2. Rajani5/24/2025 9:29 PM

    Oh but I think by writing this poem you are already engaging with those issues, Susan. Your last two lines perfectly express the hopelessness of poets though - knowing they have not the power and still searching for the words... grief is the new normal.

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  3. Mary5/27/2025 9:06 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  4. Mary5/27/2025 9:08 AM

    I agree with you, Susan. I think the coup has won. Who would have thought so much could change in so little time? It seems so hard to find something that will make a difference. I spend a lot of time on Substack and find some inspiration there at times, words from people who ARE still fighting and have hope. Norm Eisen, Jennifer Rubin, Katie Phang, Jim Acosta, etc.

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