In the land of broken dreams
conflicting forces conspire
to thoroughly divide us
into clashing groups,
irreconcilable politicians,
wearied citizens
who no longer know
who or what to believe.
Our leaders disagree
about almost everything
and tolerance has departed
for opposing views.
People are frightened, angry, confused.
No one solves our problems
that get worse and worse,
except for the rich
who expect to survive
the dissolution of empire.
Gary Beck has spent most of his adult life as a theater director and worked as an art dealer when he couldn't earn a living in the theater. He has also been a tennis pro, a ditch digger and a salvage diver. His original plays and translations of Moliere, Aristophanes and Sophocles have been produced Off Broadway. His poetry, fiction and essays have appeared in hundreds of literary magazines and his published books include 35 poetry collections, 14 novels, 3 short story collections, 1 collection of essays and 7 books of plays. Gary lives in New York City.