A Poem: Confession of a Realist

Brutal Realism

Kevin Higgins at 11:25 am March 2, 2020

 

Slavery wasn't defeated by 'realists' with big sad faces and furrowed browes. Nor did 'realists' win us the right to vote, or join a trade union. In my own life time Thatcher's poll tax and the Irish goverment's water tax weren't defeated by 'realists'. And, also in Ireland, the campaign to repeal the 8th (anti-abortion ammendment) was not initiated by 'realists'. The 'realists' never come on board until the campaign is pretty much won, and usually after it's won. They are the people who put the gay pride flag on their Facebook profiles the day AFTER the Same Sex Marriage Referendum was won. There is no creature on Earth more useless than the 'realist'. Kevin Higgins 

Confession of a Realist

A realist about other people’s lack
of toasty winter coats,
I expect them
to be realistic about my 401k;

in the context of which
I’m realistic about Lockheed Martin’s
need to add to their stockpile of
Dollars by finding more
brown people to liberate
by setting their countries
on fire.

I expect the brown community
both internally and out foreign –
with the absolute exception of those
on the Democratic National Committee –
to be realistic about the limits of
my love for them.

Realistic about low-end people
with terrible teeth
and the need for political candidates
with impossibly white smiles;

like everyone else here
I’m wildly for, in theory,
hospital beds for everyone
but realistic about a certain per cent of relatives
going to DNA stained motel rooms to end things,
when the chemotherapy bills come in.

I beg of you, put Bernie Sanders aside
or, if necessary, to death
and be realistic about the need
for a certain per cent starvation
to oil loose the markets.

When I think of all I sacrificed to sit
behind quadruple glazed windows
trying to watch a film:
‘Mephisto’ or ‘The Discreet
Charm of the Bourgeoisie’,
my phone being pinged all evening
by messages from work;

I grow more and more realistic
about how difficult it is
for the electricity company
to have to switch
other people’s lights off;

but know some people are
just better off in the dark.

Kevin Higgins