Field of Zeros (I)

In a dream, I saw Thomas Paine
And Mark Twain;
With tears in their eyes,
Watching political integrity die.
Political insanity has a familiar form
Witnessing history, they knew its norm.

Mark Twain, foaming in mouth, cursing the lies
Indignant were both, seeing public cries
Entered in our midst, Thomas Jefferson,
Angry that politicians mock facts and reason;
Especially, in Presidential election season,
And those accepting the lies, drinking poison.

I said, honorable fathers, I am here to complain,
And the facts are very plain.
A voice came from one,
“Son, inform us about what is going on
We hear this mad drumbeat
And the public cry at the angels’ feet.”

I replied, our economic system is unfair
And political system so corrupt, people cannot bear
Politicians sell themselves with pride
They are not held accountable, justice is denied
Politicians create wars so corporation can sell arms
Fanning false patriotism, causing the nation harm.

Our elections are circus in town
These characters would bring the nation down:
The elephant is flipping in the air;
The donkey on the tightrope seeking her share
To entertain all, crucial issues are off
While both eating from the same corporate trough

One is a bigoted ignoramus with a lot of incertitude
Proud of vulgarity and stuck in his childhood
A man with the ambition of an emperor
With delusion of perfectness; having no error
Having deviancy of Caligula and ruthlessness of Nero
And proud of displaying both in solo

The other, a senile war mongering functionary
Incapable of ethical stance and economic prosperity,
Promoted as the epitome of FDR!
And bombing children, wherever they are
An influence peddler in the pocket of corporations
Destroying nations with sanction or military invasions.  

Said Twain,” corporate politicians are like vampires
They suck the public’s blood to sustain empires
No pride to serve the public need
Only to accommodate their masters’ greed
They raise their hand to serve the public well
Instead, at the end, their wallets would swell.

“What happened to our beloved land?” said Jefferson
“That our nation must be led by chameleons
Where did the enlightened populace go?
Why they elect leaders from the political gutter below?
All must heed: when ignorance is praised with adore
Democracy can be sustained no more.”

Paine affirmed,” These are not your heroes
They come from field of zeros
To social movements, you must depend
To protect the nation and from oppressors to fend
For tree of democracy to endure and bear fruit,
Social and economic justice must be its bark and root.”

Twain declared, “Spirit of the Red Cloud has raised the flag of unity
To protect Mother Earth and to summon the informed community
Spirit of the Frederick Douglass is mobilizing all
From colonized, disenfranchised and tortured souls
Mother Jones, the hell raiser, summons her children
The workers, students, veterans and women.”

Jefferson added, “The change will come to the land
But not, by the invisible hand.
It is a cross-generational duty and task
To hold any authority accountable and take away its mask.”
I woke up delighted and honored
Went back to sleep, then the nightmare came, meeting the dishonored.