Liberty in Ashes So many want to be president. So few know that it should be the protector of the people, guarding them from oppression. Instead, these wannabe servants eager for indenture to the capitalist masters who have established control of the future of America having successfully removed the stout-hearted blue collar class, the only group determined enough to resist the blatant tyranny of voracious oligarchs, refusing to give a fair share to the people who toil for them while they consume the fruits of the earth. Growth Spurt The march of civilization has improved life for many, who live longer, healthier, with luxuries unimagined a few hundred years ago. As we evolved from family, to clan, to tribe, then made the great leap to nation states we devoured the resources of a bountiful earth, until we are poised to destroy the world in extravagant consumption. High Crime II The prison industry, the most unproductive industry in this ailing nation currently incarcerates more then a million men, a lot of women, more than the population of some small countries. The system employs guards, cooks, teachers, psychologists, doctors, the list goes on, all to maintain adjudicated criminals, innocent or guilty, custodians or confined another pustulant body in diseased America. Similar or … New Year’s Eve 1968, a terrible year for Vietnamese, while only some Americans lost loved ones, as the nation consumed vast amounts of treasure that the oligarchs believed would be wasted on the people. Despite growing inequality most of us didn’t notice, unless our sons were killed in distant jungles. We still didn’t realize that the lords of profit were abandoning our factories, eliminating blue collar workers, the last group to defy the bosses. Yet I seem to remember it was a good year for Haut Brion. New Year’s Eve 2018, the revelers no longer hulk in one congested mass jammed crammed together, thousands drunk, stoned, muggers, pickpockets, hoodlums visiting their neighbors, who still had a great time. Now people stand in isolated groups, regimented in the Age of Terror. But despite the lack of drink, drugs, they still have a good time. Beset A semblance of normality pervades the land, even for the disadvantaged struggling as usual to make ends meet, feed, shelter, clothe their needy children, who will never understand why they can’t have the same things as everyone else.
‘Double Envelopment’ is an unpublished poetry collection in response to harsh conditions affecting many of our people, who only want a better future for their children.
Gary Beck has spent most of his adult life as a theater director and worked as an art dealer when he couldn’t earn a living in the theater. He has also been a tennis pro, a ditch digger and a salvage diver. His original plays and translations of Moliere, Aristophanes and Sophocles have been produced Off Broadway. His poetry, fiction and essays have appeared in hundreds of literary magazines and his published books include 3 poetry collections, 14 novels, 3 short story collections, 1 collection of essays and 5 books of plays. Published poetry books include: Dawn in Cities, Assault on Nature, Songs of a Clerk, Civilized Ways, Displays, Perceptions, Fault Lines, Tremors, Perturbations, Rude Awakenings, The Remission of Order, Contusions, Desperate Seeker and Learning Curve (Winter Goose Publishing). Earth Links, Too Harsh For Pastels, Severance, Redemption Value, Fractional Disorder, Disruptions, Ignition Point, Resonance and Turbulence (Cyberwit Publishing. Forthcoming: Double Envelopment). Motifs (Adelaide Books). His novels include Extreme Change (Winter Goose Publishing). State of Rage, Wavelength, Protective Agency, Obsess, Flawed Connections and Still Obsessed (Cyberwit Publishing. Forthcoming: Call to Valor). His short story collections include: A Glimpse of Youth (Sweatshoppe Publications). Now I Accuse and other stories (Winter Goose Publishing). Dogs Don’t Send Flowers and other stories (Wordcatcher Publishing). Collected Essays of Gary Beck (Cyberwit Publishing). The Big Match and other one act plays (Wordcatcher Publishing). Collected Plays of Gary Beck Volume 1 and Plays of Aristophanes translated, then directed by Gary Beck, Collected Plays of Gary Beck Volume II and Four Plays by Moliere translated then directed by Gary Beck (Cyberwit Publishing. Forthcoming: Collected Plays of Gary Beck Volume III). Gary lives in New York City.
Robin Ouzman Hislop is Editor of Poetry Life and Times at Artvilla.com ; You may visit Aquillrelle.com/Author Robin Ouzman Hislop about author & https://poetrylifeandtimes.com See Robin performing his work Performance (University of Leeds)
