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  • Writer's pictureKathy Johnson

My Friend My Country

I see the country through my friend;

I see my friend through the country.

It all is getting blurred.

The country has such a short memory.

6 weeks ago we were still staying in our homes,

Afraid.

Afraid to shop,

To see friends,

To hug our relatives,

To walk on the street without our mask.

Today we forget how hard it was.

In February and March

We lost our jobs,

Forcing us home

To clean, to cook, to read, to play video games.

Now it’s time to get back to work.

Will we forget what it was like to pause?

Yet, not all of us

Will get our job back.

This will cause anxiety and fear.

Perhaps it already has.

When will the money run out?

The money, the money.

Such a fallacy!

We though that we could not survive

As a country

With a trillion dollar deficit

Until it was necessary

To have a multi-trillion dollar deficit

And it turns out

That we can pretty easily.

We just print more money,

Move some things around,

Borrow from ourselves.

Kick the can down the road

Another decade or two.

And the stock market!

Ha!

Are you watching?

If an authority figure says something fearful,

It falls!

If an authority figure says something hopeful,

It gains!

By a lot each time!!

And does it affect your bottom line?

Yes if you are rich enough to invest in it.

Once the stock has been traded,

It does nothing for companies.

So who loses when the market goes down?

The rich.

Who wins when the stock market goes up?

The rich.

So it behooves the rich white man

In the rich white house

To say something hopeful

Whenever he needs to,

Making the poor think that

The economy is good

And that they will get their job back

And maybe even get a raise.

But maybe it doesn’t work that way.

I’m feeling sad for my friend, my country.

She doesn’t like numbers,

They are scary,

And if you push them at her,

She pushes away.

It causes discomfort

And anxiety.

Just tell her what to do.

The rest is just too much.

My friend wants to know

How to stop the anxiety,

But she doesn’t want to face the fear,

That awful fear

That gives her a stomach ache

And makes her forget

What she was going to do

To make life better.

Yet if she faced the fear,

And looked it in the eye,

And went through the growing pains

Required to heal,

Then at the end

She could breathe a sigh of relief.

But that costs money.

It costs facing the family and friends

And admitting defeat.

And admitting she was wrong.

And admitting she is broke

And might have to let someone else take over for a while

So she can heal.

Who will take over?

And what will they take over?

Love is the only answer to all of these questions.

Love will overcome fear

And poverty

And hopelessness

And change.

Looking into the abyss

And stepping in

With a multitude of hands and hearts

Filled with love

Might be enough to

Jump.

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