Moonstone is dedicated to communication. One of our missions is to create discourse by giving voice to poets, especially on controversial issues. I received a poem from g e Reutter called Traitor on the January 6 insurrection which made me realize that this was an issue we have not responded to yet.
More than 2,000 rioters entered the Capitol building on January 6, 2021, many of whom vandalized and looted the building. Rioters assaulted Capitol Police officers and reporters and attempted to locate lawmakers to capture and harm. A gallows was erected west of the Capitol. Some rioters chanted “Hang Mike Pence” after he rejected false claims by Trump and others that the vice president could overturn the election results. Five people died, more people were injured, including 174 police officers. As of July 7, 2022, monetary damages caused by attackers exceeded $2.7 million. More than 1,230 people have been charged over the course of three years, with many trials still pending.
This year, 2024, is the next presidential election. Donald Trump has said, if elected, he would pardon himself and all of those convicted. Was January 6 the work of Traitors or Patriots? What do you think?
Write a poem and send it to us here.
Traitor by g e reuter
Subways grind along
Freights sound their horns
Commuter trains round their curves
Buses heave to and fro
As the people go about their business
As they do everyday
Unaware that the traitors are amongst us
Some living next door
Some standing in coffee lines
Some teaching our children
Some protecting and serving
Some in trusted positions
All who betray us
All who betray the nation
All who betray the constitution
All who believe the autocrats
All who betray freedom
And for no other reason
Then they think rich people
Care about them
Fools I say
Fools they are
Ignorant of history
Of what has come before
Of the death and dying
Torture and genocide
They do not know what they ask
And forgiveness will not come
They send their money to
The grifter in chief
He laughs as his minions do
Counts every penny
Thinks people love him
Maybe time for a piece of cake
Big boy
Time is coming
Justice is coming
Hang on to those passports
Cowardly imposter
You will crack like an egg
Narcissism aside
Survival of the weakest
Your strong suit
Blame everyone
But yourself
Cowardly imposter
Run and hide
And when the fools
Find you ripped them off
Had them betray their nation
You had better hope DOJ
Gets you first
Tumbling, falling, drowning
Again like you have always
Scattering others like a
Fleeing roach
And what of the people?
Subways grind along
Freights sound their horns
Commuter trains round their curves
Buses heave to and fro
As the people go about their business
As they do everyday
g emil reutter is a writer of stories and poems. He can be found at: https://gereutter.wordpress.com/about/