“2016 Throwing Shade” by Shara Hughes
tell me if you can
what the hell is your point
as you demonize vilify
spill with hostility
toss easy epithets
bomblets of bile
all it does is present you
as hateful and small
teaching wholesale distrust
of the bullhorn and microphone
worst are your wicked
mean underhand subtleties
backhanded compliments
leaving no doubts
of your bitter convictions
irrational compulsions
transparent becomes
truth of falsity evident
even to sophomore citizens
wanting at least from their
organs of commonwealth
honesty simple straightforward
discussion of problems
with tenable tidy solutions
no shadows or shade
cast by smug institutional ego
just light shining bright
from the grounded good sense
of more principled hearts
Poesy plus Polemics 