"Order of Destruction"

 

David Chapman-artist

 

            Who will cry the loudest when denied coverage for your pre-existing condition?

           Who will weep and wail when your air quality index nudges to red day after day?

            Who will stand in shock when tariffs rob your wallets with relentless brutality?

           Who will stupidly mutter, “I didn’t know?” when funding vanishes for public education?

            Who will lament the women in your life bleeding to death?

            Who will regret your neighbor ICE-d into deportations?

            Who will mourn for your LGBTQ teenager choosing death?

            Who will protect you when they brand you “Other”?

Copyright 2024 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman   

     

"The Optimist

I cannot spend my days counting losses   
focusing on withered branches and leaves   
opening my heart to your dark decay   
I refuse to bear your broken crosses   
over my threshold—into my beliefs   
by allowing your destruction to stay   
like a hurricane that swirls and tosses   
my gentle soul upon wild waves that heave   
and boil, pulling me under and away   
to the mirage of  dead albatrosses   
where your empty eyes gaze restless and grieve   
for the simple joy of a sun drenched day   

 

Copyright 2025 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman

"Be Kind"

            For many years, I’d jot a list of goals or guidelines onto the final page of my journal. At first, the practicality of these reminders meant I rarely looked at them. “Pay off car” or “Save for a fence” didn’t need a weekly reminder. Gradually the notations gave way to little personal mottos like” Stay in today” or “Laugh every day.” This time around, I wrote the words “Be kind.”
            What a lovely concept, and how sad that I feel the need to prompt myself to give tolerance and understanding when dealing with other people. I often fall short of personal goals, and when I’m stressed and tired, my ability to react with thoughtfulness dwindles to a microscopic mite.
            “Be kind” holds nobleness. If I can dip into patience and sympathy as my initial response to an adverse situation or obnoxious encounter, perhaps I can diffuse negativity in my life.
            “Be kind” nurtures grace and gentleness. If furious frustration flames within me because of someone’s painful thoughtlessness, I should douse it with common courtesy, drown it in goodwill.
            “Be kind” smothers greed, hatred and cruelty under a blanket of consideration, tenderness, and decency. So by following this two word principal, my spirit gains contentment.

 Copyright 2015 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman

"The Captain"

David Chapman- Artist

O Captain! My Captain! 

commands a tight ship

her way or no way

leaves our friendship

bleeding drops of red 

Her weary crew 

grows wary 

of her tongue’s whiplash 

any suggested change of course

screams Mutiny in her mind

Her iron grip

strangles any whisper of dissent

her obsessive voyage 

leaves  me to question

why her journey is my quest

O Captain! My Captain!

her unrelenting criticism

damages our bond beyond repair

her stranglehold for control

makes this my final cruise  

Copyright 2026 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman

"My New Favorite"

Two small and wilted Mandevilla plants caught my eye a few months ago at the grocery store. Knowing nothing about them except that they love bright sunlight, it didn’t take long for me to fall in love with their bright red trumpets. Being young and non-established, I’ve planted them into small pots for now. At the moment, my mini-greenhouse sits bare and uncovered. I think, though, the Mandevillas will shift to the top of my list for which flowers spend this winter with added shelter and warmth. If they don’t survive, I’ll make certain to find larger and healthier ones to plant into my garden out back next year. 

Copyright 2026 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman