The American Dream, The American Dreamers -poem

The American Dream, The American Dreamers

words dropped
from radios
and carved into computer drives.
The old speeches, past passion, derisive conditions
subjective and prominent.
echoes of Martin Luther King Jr., Kennedy's Address,
the cries of a country. Peace, Ghandi, freedom, equality.
Pain and hatred.
The great rise, the great fall.

New time passes, jaded and full
with fat under skin
under powder under fashion-design.
A reconstruction of image.
The power of speed, inflection of society,
the stress of parents to raise their children
with abundance material,
and casual ignorance of heart.

Stunning bling. Abundance of of sex, money, drugs.
Drive of desire. The stimulation of constant sound.
Speed, cars and fame; the pace of the country.
The heart-attack smacks
into all-time high
consumer-rates.
The illusion of “living it up”.
Individuality reprocessed and manufactured; Identity
a marketing tool from those with botox-smiles.

Smothered whispers of
a heart
answered with valium,
lipitor, depression medication.
Be careful not to frown, or they'll
pin you down in garments of white.

The TV blairs, shines
a light on our imperfections.
Suddenly we're aware
that we are not the man on the television.
Our identity changed. Our mind rearranged,
forget our born-identity;
buy another.
Our democracy established by E-Hollywood,
debating which icon to mimick or mock.
Our innerworld pulled into anarchy,
but we're distracted from it's governing.
The city-lights are charming and
while the rest of the world is pulling puppet-strings,
we go out each night,
our mind upon the dresser table, our
heart kept in a safe,
our lips stuck in plastic smiles,
forgetting what to say beyond the lines
and stage-cues given,
or that our hearts and minds could speak.