ABSOLUTE CORRUPTION AHEAD
Resist the Mind Games
NOTICE:
Water is not ICE.
The former will drown you,
The latter will shoot you
When you're unarmed.
It might be the stupidest thing
Anyone's ever done
In the history of the office
To send an army of agents
Into the coldest part of the country
During the dead of winter
To investigate a fraud
That could and should have been
Handled quietly and without fanfare.
But just like water is not ice,
Winning the highest office
Does not vest the steaming turd
That dresses in its finery
With the moral character
To make sound decisions for others.
It may even be that the very existence
Of such offices and power
Must inevitably attract the vilest refuse
From the toxic, radioactive, post-Cold War,
Post-Truth, post"modern", post-industrial revolution
Compost heap that has become American CULTure.
<>
These are the malformed monsters
Matriculating from the cold abyss
Of a conscienceless progress.
<>
WARNING:
POWER CANNOT REPRESENT PEOPLE,
IT CAN ONLY EVER RULE THEM.
BETTER TO BE STRONG.
RESIST THE MIND GAMES.
About the Creator
C. Rommial Butler
C. Rommial Butler is a writer, musician and philosopher from Indianapolis, IN. His works can be found online through multiple streaming services and booksellers.
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Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
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One Unchecked Box
"Republished" because it was the only way to add the embed for the newly recorded audio version of this story due to the Top Story badge. Plus it serves as a nice, informal announcement of the podcast's revival for another season (go subscribe!):
By Stephen A. Roddewig6 days ago in Fiction
Comments (25)
AMEN!!! I get so overwrought my the news lately, it's not great for my mental health to write about it, so thanks for voicing what I & so many others think/feel. I mention this solely because you are a fellow Hoosier... I saw a church in Indianapolis had a vigil for the victims of ICE. The comments were just appalling. This does feel like the 'heart of Trump country' almost as much as Texas. Any reminder it's not is always welcomed. What's especially stunning to me is what you said about the "stupidest thing anyone has ever done." I would have said that eight months ago... or four months ago... or even a month ago. He takes moronic and hypocrisy to new heights. Just when you think it can't worse, it does. When I saw the news about Alexi Pretti I was **not** surprised. Not after the way Renee Good's death was invalidated. I could go on writing for an hour but I'd likely on say what you already know. I had trouble making it to the No Kings Day here in Anderson because I'm epileptic and I don't drive. But I made it. And that was *before* there was blood in our streets. Good luck with this, sir.⚡
Amen CRB! Excellent work!
Yes! Ice is lethal. Thank you
Nicely done, Charles. Congrats on the TS <3
Wooohooooo congratulations on your Leaderboard placement! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
congratulations on top story- well done
congrats on top story!
You are amazing
There is no need for me to comment. You said it all.
“ These are the malformed monsters Matriculating from the cold abyss Of a conscienceless progress.” Slow clap, dear friend!! Congrats on Top Story - well deserved and easily awarded.
LOVE It. TOP STORY > WOW
Back to say congratulations on your Top Story! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
Abso-fucking-lutely! Well said, man.
So deserving to Top Story! Congrats! Though, I wish it didn't need to be written about. Fantastic job expressing the severity of the situation.
"The latter will shoot you When you're unarmed." You should have seen the way my eyes widened when I realised which ICE you were talking about. What's happening is truly devastating. It breaks my heart so much 😭😭😭
I love the ice/water metaphor. It's such sharp way to explore how different forces impact us.
Makes you want to puke, doesn't it. Riches do not common sense make. MANY WAYS TO SAT IT. READ MINE. https://todaysurvey.life/poets/s-i-l-e-n-c-e-please%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv class="css-w4qknv-Replies">
Wow!!! Preach it, brother!
Good job in expressing your thoughts and feelings on what is going on in this country. Sometimes people just do not think before acting.
1984 was written in 1949; 4 generations ago. Big Brother operated by controlling the story, the news. Today, even with the pervasive internet and the omnipresent phone cameras- the narrative is true for many people only through the news they watch. As the government controls more and more news venues, and the FCC abolished the Fairness Doctrine, the line is again blurred and surreal. Your poem has power.
On point and definitely relevant! Feels like the resistance is coming and the fake castles will come tumbling down.
Sad. And very true and powerful poem.
Every time I read about ICE hurting or killing someone and how DOJ spins it to make them the victim always reminds me of what George Orwell said in 1984, Orwell wrote “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command”.
I am very sad about what is going on in our country. People being beat up and killed in the streets is not good. Even worse is we have a president who lies in order to sway public opinion about what is happening in the streets when the video evidence very obviously says something different.
Fight on brother. Father winter will crush the fascists as he always does and those of us with eyes to watch will never, ever forget.