White Wine, White Lie, White Will, White Power Poem by Dennis Ryan

"Dust thrown into eyes learns to see and it follows...
it sees that they are its children and it beholds hatred it beholds fear"
- W.S. Merwin, "In the Life of Dust"

October 1999; revised March 9,2005

I came over to your house today to return the newspaper,
but before I left I had something totally different in mind—
white wine, white lie, white will, white power.In America,
as the circuits of power run down through our children,
you and I look at each other over white wine glasses
expressingthe will and the lie that is our children's burden.
We act subtly: we pass along these white lies with our eyes;
ultimately, we teach self-control to control others.We manipulate
each other. So, okay, we all lust after the same things; so, okay,
we all want power; people can't help being people; can't change things.
But let's not give into the lie as if it's okay- don't epitomize the lie.
It's scary: this world.Only "saints" like Ghandi give up power.