old men
we thank you for
your service to hypocrisy;
where you have failed,
we shall succeed
and where we fumble,
our children will prevail
old men
hold onto your barbiturates
for there sits a black king
in the white castle
yet we breathe,
as always –
miracle of nature, one wonders
grant us our right
to bury with you
your misguided notion
of the measure of a man –
we teach the lessons
we learn,
and the Sun is our witness
we will crack the pot
and break the ladle
with which you have portioned out
basic human rights,
bit by bit and little by little –
crumbs of indignity
from bowls of patronage
Mika Salakka is a Finn living in the United States. He is a nursing assistant, a creative writer, a devoted husband, and an observer of the human condition. His interests range from music and literature to psychology, sociology, medicine, technology, and spirituality.