Outspoken Limericks about Civil Unrest

As a poet and a hermit, I try to stay outside the fray of world politics. Once in a while I make the mistake of perusing the comments section of a FaceBook post about current events. This inevitably leads me running back to my cave. But when it comes to civil unrest, I seem to have no shortage of limericks.

As any assiduous reader will have observed from my theological limericks, I always strive to maintain an open mind and a disinterested perspective concerning contentious matters of religion and politics. So bear that in mind as you consider these limericks about civil unrest. In no way do I wish to incite violence with the use of my poetry.

In fact, I’m a firm believer in the notion that you can accomplish far more through the power of language than by mere physical force. And so I absolutely subscribe to the following aphorism: Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can transform reality.

     The Best Of All Possible Worlds
     It’s all well and good if you learn to obey
     Just follow the leader don’t wander astray
               We all have our place
               In the civilized race
     No room for mistakes when you do what they say

     May the Excessive Use of Force Be With You
     On the streets of the ghetto there’s no time for silence
     A whole generation grows numb in defiance
               The cops make a thud
               And draw the first blood
     And then they speak out with a call for non-violence

     Bring it on Home
     The sirens are coming I think I hear two
     They serve and protect and deliver fear too
               Homegrown’s the best
               When it’s civil unrest
     So look for some soon in a city near you

     Malignancy
     There’s a growth in our system we’ve got to curtail
     A tumor the size of a baby blue whale
               We roundly despise it
               But try to excise it
     The doctors all say that it’s too big to fail

     Power to the People
     Democracy’s never seen such a condition
     There’s snakes in the hen house with tacit permission
               The reckoning’s due
               For a bloodless coup
     Don’t stop till you’ve strangled the last politician

     Class Consciousness
     Amazing what some folks will do for a penny
     But look for a job and I doubt you’ll find any
               The road for the few
               To become well-to-do
     Is paved with injustice and dust for the many

Further Reading

If you liked these Limericks about Civil Unrest, you’ll be sure to enjoy:

• Limericks about Modernity
• Limericks about American Politics
• Limericks about God and Religion
• Limericks about Dreams and Dreaming
• What is a limerick?