Writings

Capitol Offense

by 

Brian James Siddons

Halted within my brain, each

Synapse unable to relay a

Single thought or emotion as 

I struggled to process news channel 

Replays of the treasonous crowds.  

Irrationally engaged in a frenzied riot,

Raging, unrestrained against America,

Invading historic chambers of democracy.

Stains of insurgency lawlessly left upon

Centuries old markers of America’s freedom. 

Outnumbered, outgunned, by an out-of-control

Insurrection of anti-America, anti-constitution,

Confederate flag wielding zealots and assassins. 

Fully emboldened by the Commander-in-Chief, he

Fanning the flame of anarchy, irresponsibly 

Pitting American against American for self-gain. 

Defenders holding firm, their daily, 

Heroic, service to family, friends, 

citizenry, and country, inner

Strength drawn upon to stem the tide. 

Cries of revolt and death echo within

Hallowed hallways, dissonant voices fueled by

Lies and hatred, ego and ignorance. The

Wave of blood thirsty cultist floods the 

Blue line, overwhelming many in its wake. 

Standing his ground for country, 

To serve, to protect, each of the

Basic rights of our democracy. I am

Unable to imagine his last, few, 

Incongruous moments, a 

Dizzying mix of intensity, a 

Conflagration of thoughts as he, a

Capitol Police officer, lies dying, 

Beat to death by false patriots. 

Broken hearts, never to be whole,

Father, mother, brothers and more.

Incredulous, not wanting to believe how,

In the heart of our most sacred institutions, a

Life spent in service to his country can be

Placed in jeopardy, placed in harm’s way,

A future thwarted by cowards, who,

Unable to hear the truth, act as if 

Mute to the finality of four years

Stolen by carpetbaggers, now

Running out with their gains, as we

Are left wounded, deep scars

Searing our thoughts, words and deeds. 

Demon-ocracy dividing a country,  

Verbal poisoning by lie, after lie, after lie,

Habitual repetition until fanatical ingestion.

Cheating the Republic of its honor, as

Complicit in the death of honesty as 

In the death of so many innocents.

These rebels to the Republic, 

Too easily wade, blindly, into the  

Dark waters of judgement. 

Taken by the undertow, and

Swept from the shore of reason, 

Lost at sea in an instant.

Souls adrift on the current, 

Anxiously awaiting rescue.

Desperate for answers, for 

Navigation, no matter the heading.

Bodies flailing, lungs gasping, 

Drowning in their own hatred.

Gulping mouthfuls of deceit and 

Ignorance as if life-saving air.

For we are all here together.

Humankind, not Humanhatred. 

Must we fight for all eternity? 

Life, for each of us, is so fleeting, 

Why must we work so hard to

Remove the joy, hope, love and 

Happiness from the life of others? 

Imagine this effort we ignorantly 

Reserve for war and hate, instead,

Channeled into hope and peace, 

Compromise and resolution. 

Let us not continue to deny the 

Promise of freedoms earned,

With justice, for all, not I alone.

Toil for this we must, for nothing of 

Value blooms without nurturing.

Lend our hands to help others stand, 

Open our hearts to mend the broken.

Offer guidance on the path of life to

Those feeling forever lost and alone.

Shine your light upon the hopeless, 

That they may see a brighter dawn.

With grace, may we all experience

America’s Freedom.

Life, Liberty and the

Pursuit of Happiness.

By

Brian James Siddons

January 10, 2021

Together

 by Brian James Siddons

Oct 18, 2020

Winter crept into our lives quite early in 2020. 

Overlooking innumerable three-year old precursors, now so apparent,

America skated fervently above the slow forming glacier. 

Oblivious to the undercurrent, daily life overflowing, with

Lockdowns, meltdowns, put-downs, and knockdowns. 

Steadfast in our corners, kicking and screaming, as if

Five-year old’s, crying for treats in a grocery store.  

Beneath us the cold, as yet unseen, stretches and reaches,

Seeping into our lives, inches at a time. Thickening, its silent effect

Is sickening our thoughts, our words, our deeds. 

Fighting the effects of this layered ice, we insulate ourselves within the

Thoughts of like-minded people. First in small groups,

Warming up to a newly discovered bravery, fueling our emptiness.

Sheets of ice became solid, a foundation for the calamity of civil unrest. 

Standing tall, unafraid of falling into the abyss of frozen finality,

Blocks of ice are placed around camps of all kinds, 

Each seeking to gain ground, gain momentum, gain the upper hand. 

Sighted with only their self-indulgent vision, the blindness each possess leads to 

Wrong evaluations, wrong decisions, wrong outcomes. 

Clarity, frozen far below the surface, holds deep any hint of compromise. 

Within the blizzard, all seems lost. Direction means nothing, 

Survival at all costs drives the human spirit to a primal level. 

Guilt-free, my-way-is-the-only-way for those in power making the rules, and for 

Those in the streets breaking the rules. Once the compass of life that 

Points us toward dignity, compassion, empathy and respect, is

Crushed upon the rock of totalitarianism, the last 

Remnants of democracy will lay buried in the snow.

Wait not for the melting snow, for next spring will bring forth only more weeds of discontent. 

We have sown our current yield, and on this we cannot survive, it is a thatch, empty of nutrition. 

Ahead is the promise of a new planting, a new season, a new harvest. 

This workload, while not an easy task, is a step in the right direction toward 

Rebuilding and reuniting, learning and teaching, listening and healing, progress and success. 

Opportunity is right around the corner, let’s take a walk, 

Together, and say hello to a more compassionate future. 

A Thin Line 

by 

Brian James Siddons

It’s out there.

A thin line.

As long as I can imagine,

Untethered.

Lingering in mid-air, 

Invisible to my eyes.

Sought after by my thoughts.

Fingers tap out code

Raising hope a loose end will

Plug in and juice

My source of creativity.

Near misses wrap 

My brain with entanglements. 

Reaching out is nothing but 

An awkward fail.

Nor can I forcibly will it to comply, 

It so adroitly darts away, quite

Thoroughly unimpressed by my want.

Patiently, painstakingly, I unclog

And empty the thought vessel 

Of pre-formed conclusions.

I rest, I absorb, I flatline until

Suddenly I have filled a page.

I give in,

To win.

By Brian James Siddons 

July 27, 2018