Home Planet News

a journal of literature & art

10-Them and Us

Them and Us

When the mushroom men start a project

they hire experts, appoint a boss,

         set up boards of famed, noted, prestigious (rich) directors,

hire vast staffs of employees to do the work,

or of subcontractors to do it cheaper yet,

and hold testimonials as they grind out

Pathbreaking Products,

Modern Miracles,

and

Trail Blazing New Weaponry.

They grind up our creativity,

sprinkle the ground with our labor,

and grow mushrooms

of destruction.

When we try to stop them it is a work of endless toil, endless bickering, and endless love

to harness our hatreds, cohere our community,

discuss what needs to be done

disagree dissolve dissipate disappear

re-emerge.

We hassle it out again and again

and counterpose our

love

hate

rage

community

skills

organization

tumult

democracy

creativity

to their

systems

rationality

efficiency

exploitation

law

authority

order

hierarchy

blood-draining loneliness

hunger

war

to grow life

instead of

mushrooms.

Sam Friedman

Home Planet News