Corporations

Kari enjoys writing poetry. There is a certain freedom in poetry because you don't always have to follow the rules.

We, the People

"We, the people”—not we, the white people—not we, the citizens, or the legal voters—not we, the privileged class, and excluding all other classes, but we, the people; not we, the horses and cattle, but we, the people—the men and women, the human inhabitants of the United States, do ordain and establish this Constitution, etc."

Frederick Douglass

You Are Not Human

You are not like me.

You do not have a heart

(Nor compassion or mercy).

You do not represent humanity.

Humanity made you

Then you took control.

Still, you are not like me.

You never had a toothache.

You never were sick.

You have never been "down and out".

You are never homeless.

You never took out a paycheck loan.

You want.

In fact, you want excessively.

You threaten and intimidate the real us.

You will never go to jail.

You think you are indestructible,

But even the Sphinx lost face.

You have never had a drink.

You have never had a drink,

Refreshingly cool,

After a day of labor.

You have never been rendered speechless

By the incredible clarity of art.

You have never seen art.

You have never jumped

To make the shot while in the zone.

You have never been in the zone.

All these are human doings,

Relationships, and love.

You have never had one.

You are not a human.

I am a human.

But, I work for you.

You are not a human.

You have never had a love,

You have never cared.

You are not a human

You are not a human.

The law claims you are a "person".

But, you are not human.

How can you be a person?

if you are not human?

Aren't all people human?

Or, was it all humans are people?

It’s the riddle of the century

That some "persons" are not human.

You are not human.

But you pollute.

You sacrifice nature.

You do not care if

Humans can't drink the water,

Or breathe the air.

You are not human.

You don't drink.

You don't breathe.

You are not human.

So, how can you

Be a "person".

You are not invested enough,

You have nothing to lose,

You have no love.

You are not human

You do not answer to humanity.

You are not human.

Then why are you a person?

We are human

And, we are people.

Who are these others?

We, the real people,

Are confused. Are

We real? Do we matter?

You claim personhood

As if being a person

Is something you may assign.

You are not human

You will never be human,

Much less humane.

You are a user.

You use humans

To make you rich

You may have a bank account

But how? Can a dog have an account?

You are not a human.

Every decade humans

make less

While you make more.

You treat us as slaves

To be pushed about

But, you are not human.

You were not made in God's image.

You are cold and sterile

Yet you act as God to humans.

Our government is run

For the people, by the people,

But now you are the "person"

Our government is for.

© 2020 Kari Poulsen