Dinner Party Democracy

Your dinner party games

Boil water in my veins.

Your acting roll call

Doesn’t have me fooled at all.

.

You talk on everything I live.

You talk of justice — a time to forgive.

You give speech after speech

Of what you don’t know,

While I carry the weight

of integrity for us all.

.

You don’t hold your share.

You ignore truth laid bare —

Have it carried away

On a servant’s tray,

Far from the door

Of your charade’s high score.

As you trade away

The lives in your hands today.

.

Your silence bound

By their conditions -

Astounds the person

You used to be.

.

Integrity?

.

A sickening act.

A pretend game.

Or some theoretical passing fact.

For it’s not to be found

In your actions or words.

For you don’t have the trust in God

or trust in love.

.

So please do sip some more

Of the expensive red

They delivered to your door.

And when you feel something real again —

Play dead.

Play numb.

Hell, reach for the rum.

.

Don’t dare to try

To stand for what is true.

Just keep your head low

So they don’t come after you.