The poet and the house-dog.

T.S.Elliot said that the meaning of poetry was "to satisfy one habit of the reader, to keep his mind diverted and quiet, while the poem does its work upon him: much as the imaginary burglar is always provided with a bit of nice meat for the house-dog". House-dogs are we all, the nation our master. How sad it is that we have been tricked by a few scraps of meat.

Those who would have the audacity to take from this Nation's people what they thought was deserved of them, without question or oversight should not be our leaders. To long have we allowed the pillaging of our land, our rights, our money, our justice and our pride. For decades the same families have been at the reigns of our government. For decades have our leaders exploited other countries in our names. We, as citizens, must stop history from repeating so that the actions of our leaders do not become the regrets of our children.

This will happen with a revolution. It will not happen with guns but with words. Rather than bombs there will be leaflets. The marching armies will be that of citizen protesters. This will be a quiet revolution, a grass roots revolution that will start not on the steps of the capitol but in your community, on your street, with your neighbors.

You must start by talking with those you know, and are comfortable with. You must talk about ideas and solutions rather than complaints and finger pointing. Find out what the key issues in your community are. Learn who your local representatives are and contact them. Tell them that you are taking notice of their action or inaction. Tell them you are not alone. This is where change will start. At the roots, the base, the feet.

The most important part of change is the first step. The first step is action. It is not enough that you want to act, you must need to act. You must recognize that without you, nothing changes. You hold the key to a new Nation. You are but a single person, seemingly lost in a sea of people, I know. I know the feeling that you are not special enough, not strong enough, not educated enough to make the change you feel is needed. I am telling you that you are. It doesn't matter how educated you are or how strong you are. What matters most is what you feel inside. You have the ability to change the entire world with some very small actions. Know that you are the embodiment of change. You are the revolution.

Look at your hands...what will you use them for? What will they build? Do not look at them years from now thinking "These hands could have built a Nation". Look at them now and think "These hands can change a community. These hands can help those who need help. These hands will build a Nation".

In chrysalis.

I start this blog on the cusp of a new America. As a Nation we are poised to take back what has been stolen from us over the last few decades. It is not pride or patriotism. It is not democracy or capitalism. We have the opportunity to take back our right to be citizens. For too long our elected officials have been coaxing us into the comfortable cocoons of materialism and want. They have secretly smiled each time we shrugged our shoulders, allowing them to weave the silk a bit tighter. Long has been our slumber in these comfortable cocoons, unaware of the impact we have had on the world. Unaware of the cost of our neglect as well. How long might we have stayed wrapped up in our silken armor? How long would we have remained blinded to the injustice doled out in our names were it not for the events of recent years. Events which have slowly begun to wake us from chrysalis dreams.

Now we have begun to emerge. Eyes readjusting to the light, citizens once again. Responsibilities are placed on our shoulders in this new form. We must be informed, aware, and unafraid. We must protect those who have not yet emerged. We are the reconnoiters for a new generation of citizenship. A citizen model which this country...nay the world has yet to see.

In the following texts I will help to create an outline of our responsibilities as citizens. I hope to foster the understanding of why citizens are needed for the survival and progress of our Nation. And I will argue why it is imperative we do not fall into another slumber. As citizens we have a long road ahead of us. A road that is both challenging and rewarding. A road that will lead us to the greatest era our Nation has ever seen.