Let's Build a New System

A not-at-all subtle poem

The system is not broken,
The system is rigged.

By white men
(and a fair number of white women)
Who committed genocide
And created the concept of race
As a moral justification for enslaving other human beings,
So they could amass more wealth
Than they could possibly use.

The system is not broken,
The system is rigged.

By land owners
Who already had more
Than they could possibly need
Who decided that winning looks like winner takes all
And reduced value
And worth to dollar amounts.

The system is not broken,
The system is rigged.

By those who maintain the status quo
Who lack the imagination
To see the complexity of what it is to be human
Limited by their narrow perspective,
So they limit our shared possibility.

The system is not broken,
The system is rigged.

There is nothing to fix.
Nothing to repair.
It is working exactly
And only
As it was built to.

The system is not broken,
The system is rigged.

So we build/reclaim/revive
New systems.

We come together and
We get creative
And we say:
“Let’s build a system,
That recognizes our place within all things,
Rather than above, or apart.”

“Let’s build a system,
Where guaranteed housing,
Healthcare,
Clean water,
And food
Do not sound radical
Because meeting the basic needs
Of everyone in our communities
should never be a radical idea.”

“Let’s build a system,
Where possessing land is unfathomable,
And value is inherent in our existence,
And belonging is a given.”

“Let’s build a system,
Based on reciprocity,
Informed by abundance,
And nourished by mutual aid.”

“Let’s build a system
—A system so compelling,
So baked in love and care,
And the worthiness of all beings
—That it is irresistible.”

Let’s build a system,
Rigged to benefit all beings.

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