It's been a long time since last we heard from cowboy poet Steed Stetson. Mostly he keeps to himself but given the strife that has received increased visibility in our country of late, he just couldn't remain silent. In the following poem, we are reminded how Steed is confounded by a contemporary world that increasingly rankles his traditional Western values. Oblige:
Last night I turned on the TV
Nothing worthwhile, that I could see
Fear mongers shout and ply their trade
Tell us we must be afraid
So lock your doors and buy a gun
Or maybe two or ten for fun
It is your right, it's self-defense
But me, I find this a pretense
For if you're in the dominant pack
Buildin' an arsenal widens the gap
Choices keep cruelty common
Further enable white supremacist lawmen
They protect and serve the billionaire
The oligarch thriving on class warfare
Obamacare, the scourge of our day
At least that's what the "news" outlets say
They distract us with the wrong debate
Capitalism is what we should hate
A coercive system that harms us
Causin' fights where there oughtn't be a fuss
Call me naive but there should be enough
For us all to thrive it shouldn't be tough
Food and comfort, safety, respect
Things no human doesn't expect
For us all the government should make things right
Instead of just meetin' the needs of rich whites
Maybe I'm just an ignorant cowpoke
But in 2014, too bad it's no joke
That state-sanctioned bullies kill with impunity
And folks live in
real fear in too many a city