Edited from the original July publication date for light editing, and because imploring others to vote seems superfluous now. If so inclined, you can find the original version on my Substack.

A day past Independence Day

This horror won’t just go away

Nor will the rage that will not quiet

With stakes this high, you can’t deny it

And yet the thing that puzzles me

The thing so big it muzzles me

Evil so near it nuzzles me

Is how few have heard its name

Oh what a time to be alive

My darlings, gather ‘round

For Project 2025

Is gonna break some ground

They promise they won’t hurt you

If you just play by their rules

While they strip away the funding

From all the public schools

That’s prob’ly going to take a while

But, darlings, don’t you fret

That’s just the very start of things

You ain’t seen nothing yet.

The Presidential Powers with few bounds, and fewer checks

And sycophantic loyalty makes monarchic politics

Experts be damned, pack up your things, your clearance is denied

They’ve got a slew of newcomers more properly allied

The courts are poised to bend our laws to one man’s fickle will

And they’ll grow more egregious with each judgeship that they fill

Hey! Sit up straight, I’m talking here, you’d better pay attention

I’m telling you, they wrote it down, this is no fabrication

Their arrogance is mind-boggling, they’re self-righteously replete

With all manner of unliberties, and the cruelty they shall mete

Your birth control? Forget it

Climate Action? Bless your heart

And if you disagree with him

He just might have you shot

The military’s always been under their chief’s command

But now he says he’ll order them to fight in their homeland

He’ll privatize all health care, and the poor can go pound sand

Abortion? Please, you’re vessels. No exceptions. It is banned.

You’ll pray to their god, on their terms, promote indoctrination

Of all those kids you’re birthing in our new White Christian Nation

Immigration? Easy. Ban all Muslims and build camps

For folks who don’t have documents or whose files fell through the cracks

And drag out folks who’ve lived here since brought here as young kids

And wait until you see how much that avocado is

Gay marriage? Rendered null and void

And every child could be employed

No Fault Divorce? Fat chance, my dear, you’re chattel, plain and simple

Remember how implausible to don a Handmaid’s wimple?

The joke’s on us if we pretend t’will never come to be

The plan’s been set in motion, it’s now up to you and me

I’m of the strong conviction that this Plan can be derailed

But epic battles can’t be won unless we know we’re being assailed.

Consider this the memo that we all must be receiving

If we’re to fiercly claw back all the rights they plan on stealing

So now, at least, you cannot say that you have never heard

Of Project 2025 and whose best interests it won’t serve