Bearing Witness to the Times: Verdicts and Revolutions

Hosni Mubarak, former president of Egypt, was taken back to a military hospital
 on Thursday after a court session (Photo by Mohamed Hossam, European Press)

"Egyptian Court Clears Way for Hosni Mubarak's Release"

    Verdicts and Revolutions

    The news came over the radio:

    “Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Found Not Guilty.”

    He has been cleared of any responsibility

    For the deaths of protesters

    During the Arab Spring.

    The ageing and ailing

    Former head-of-state

    Was released from jail

    With little fanfare –

    Memories of the people’s uprising

    Have faded

    With military rule firmly ensconced

    In an ancient land.

I heard the news

On my way to the Golden Temple Café.

A banner in front of the 
Health food store and vegetarian restaurant

Proudly proclaims, “Celebrating 43 Years.”

Forty-three years ago

(That would have been the Nixon administration)

In the Deep South

A Sikh yoga practitioner and restaurateur

Began a quiet revolution

That has lasted to this day.

There have been days

When I took refuge

In that  vegetarian café

Where a simple meal

Of beans and rice

Became a sign of hope

In distressing times.

Today I think of those heady days,

Now six years past,

When Egyptian youth filled the streets.

They were moved by hope

For a better way.

The news of a 'not guilty' verdict

Lets Empire stand

While streets are quiet.

It’s vegetable curry today on the menu.

Around me are happy people

Engaged in health food and conversation,

Reaping the benefits

Of that Sikh entrepreneur

Whose vision of health and wholeness

Has endured

Through many swings

Of the political pendulum.

Here at home

Uncertainty reigns.

Demagogue power holds sway;

Whispers of intrigue and corruption

Continue to erupt.

Is there hope

For a democratic spring?

Or will it fade

Like the Arab Spring?

Or will it find resurgence

After a time of remission?

Still there is a sign of hope –

Vegetable curry on rice

In a vegetarian restaurant

Whose future 43 years ago
In the Deep South

Was anything but certain.

                                                ~ CK

"The bossman," Harinam Singh Khalsa

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All photos from The Golden Temple Natural Grocery and Cafe are from the store's Facebook page.
(Read a 2014 article in B-Metro here.)

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From my introductory post:

The best thing that poets can do is to bear witness to the times – articulate what is happening in the moment; speak to the real life experiences of your people.  I am setting myself a goal to write a poem each week that reflects what I see and experience in the life of our nation... if I can write one poem a week there will be some chronicle of our sacred/tested/doubtful union.

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Suddenly Wisconsin

There is something inspiring about seeing the people gathering together and their voice being heard. As the story unfolded in Egypt this month, there was a sense of thrill and excitement, but also of trepidation. What if chaos reigns and violence explodes? Then we saw jubilation in those crowds when peaceful protests (without guns and bombs) along with that democratic facilitator of the people – electronic communication – brought an end to 30 years of oppression. I had a similar feeling of exultation years ago when the people of The Philippines gathered en masse to protest the sham elections under Ferdinand Marcos. I’m not sure how much difference that peaceful overthrow made in the ensuing years to the Philippine people, but it showed the world what the voice of the people can do. How things play out in Egypt will be another story (and is yet to be seen).

We have seen, however, the effects of letting that genie out of the bottle: other despotic regimes in the Middle East are in danger of teetering (will twittering lead to more teetering?). Just as the printing press gave more power to the people at the time of our own American Revolution, electronic media may be exponentially increasing the influence of the masses. Whether for good or ill (probably some of both) electronic communications will be shaking up the political landscape.

Now we see the people of Wisconsin coming out en masse to protest attempts by the few (funded by large corporate money) to undo the good of the many. Those union workers, teachers, firemen, and servants of the public are letting their voice be heard. And hear it we must, lest we forget that it was the unions who facilitated child labor laws, safe work environments, the 40-hour work week, pensions and benefits for the working people. The only ones who would benefit by breaking the unions are the corporations who live for profit, not for the people. Their goal is market shares rather than justice and equity.

How will it all play out? Usually political events bring a mixed bag. Most often, when there is progress it will be three steps forward, two steps back. The most important thing may be for all people to realize that they do have a voice, and like so many things in history, that new awareness has come out of Egypt.



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