‘Get Along, Little DOGE-ie’ and Other Social Commentary Poetry by James A. Tweedie

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Get Along, Little DOGE-ie

Should come a day my fortunes be increased,
It’s guaranteed such bounty will be fleeced.
For government, like vacuum cleaners, sucks,
And takes one-sixth of all my hard-earned bucks.

Though spent, they say, for good things, not for ill,
I doubt that what they say is what they will.
For governments, while rarely ever chaste,
Are unapologetic making waste.

And just like Noah’s forty days of rain,
Tax dollars, in the end, go down the drain.
Or else alike some shameless burglar’s locket,
They wind up in some politician’s pocket.

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Through Other’s Eyes

For you to see through other’s eyes
_Could well be hard to do.
Above all when, to your surprise,
_You see them seeing you.

When thinking of yourself, you will
_No doubt, think of your best.
Although you may not fit their bill
_Or pass the other’s test.

For just as in a mirror, you
_Observe your face reversed,
So, you, through someone else’s view,
_Might see you at your worst.

Whenever frightful truth appears,
_Try sucking on your thumb.
Or else, with fingers in your ears,
_Just close your eyes and hum.

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Critical Mess

A Generational a-Musing

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I don’t wanna say yes, I don’t wanna say no
I don’t wanna say stay, I don’t wanna say go

I don’t wanna stay home, I don’t wanna move away
I don’t wanna follow rules, I don’t wanna disobey

I don’t wanna suffer fools, I don’t wanna be gamed
I don’t wanna be a hero, I don’t wanna be ashamed

I don’t wanna fly the flag, I don’t wanna be taxed
I don’t wanna get sick, I don’t wanna get vaxxed.

I don’t wanna get stoned, I don’t wanna be clean
I don’t wanna be nice, I don’t wanna be mean.

I don’t wanna be poor, I don’t wanna be rich
I don’t wanna tell a lie, I don’t wanna be a snitch

I don’t wanna get married, I don’t wanna be alone
I don’t wanna pay for school, I don’t wanna pay my loan

I don’t wanna drop out, I don’t wanna drop in
I don’t wanna be her, I don’t wanna be him

I don’t wanna be you, I don’t wanna be me
I don’t wanna be tied down, I don’t wanna be free

I don’t wanna be needed, I don’t wanna be missed
I don’t wanna be stroked, I don’t wanna be dissed

I don’t wanna lift you up, I don’t wanna be put down
I don’t wanna show a smile, I don’t wanna show a frown

I don’t wanna laugh out loud, I don’t wanna hear a pun
I don’t wanna be unsafe, I don’t wanna own a gun

I don’t wanna hear it hummed, I don’t wanna hear it sung
I don’t wanna be apart, I don’t wanna be among

I don’t wanna be too short, I don’t wanna be too tall
I don’t wanna take a stand, I don’t wanna take a fall

I don’t wanna “either/or,” I don’t wanna make that call
I don’t wanna, I don’t wanna
But I wanna have it all

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James A. Tweedie is a retired pastor living in Long Beach, Washington. He has written and published six novels, one collection of short stories, and four collections of poetry including Sidekicks, Mostly Sonnets, and Laughing Matters, all with Dunecrest Press. His poems have been published nationally and internationally in both print and online media. He was honored with being chosen as the winner of the 2021 SCP International Poetry Competition.