I See You

By Joe Cunningham

I see you.

I know that most people don’t, but I do.

I know that you’re the kind of person that has enough money to become invisible.

I know you’re a lot older than me;

You’ve been around.

Everyday we wake up in the world you’ve helped create.

And everyone sees it, but doesn’t think about it.

You made deals with the “third world”

So now all our shit is made there

By kids.

You know there are more slaves today than when Lincoln was alive.

Because most of them work for you.

You say you care about women,

But you sell everything with sex.

We live in the mirage of a “justice system”

That you have bought.

If your son rapes a girl,

He will not go to jail.

If you embezzle millions,

Neither will you.

But the prisons you profit from are constantly full of minorities who have done much less.

You have 7 DUI’s

But none on your record.

You keep every other drug illegal

Because you don’t know how to make money off it yet.

And they help get people in your prisons.

You’ve already cured cancer

You just make more money off pumping people full of shit that doesn’t work.

You are constantly making new drugs

That we “need”

You pay doctors who prescribe them

Regardless of if they work.

You’ve invested in fast-food

To create more diseases

To sell us your drugs

To “fix” them.

Where are the healthy Happy Meals?

You squashed them.

You create financial “products” that are absolute shit.

While you are safe.

And when it all comes down again

You won’t go to jail.

And we will all pay the difference.

Again.

You fix every election,

Based on who will keep you in power.

It’s illegal for independent voters to vote in primaries.

And only those people get in.

You know this.

You molest little kids
Who
When they are old enough to talk about it
Can't. Legally
Because you gave it a "statute of limitations."
What the fuck!

You own the media.

Literally.

You killed our older brothers

Who died fighting for your oil.

You haven’t built electric cars

Because you can’t make as much money off those.

You have a guy who gets you through every loophole
So you don't pay taxes
While you go visit your only friends
In the Cayman Islands. 

How many countries in South America did you fuck up

And for what reason?

You write the history books

So our kids never learn about what you did to the natives when you got here.

Where are they now?

You piece of fucking shit.

You put your mother in a nursing home.

You have someone in charge of sending her cards.

Your kids all make the varsity team

And go to Ivy Leagues

Or else

You disown them.

You pressure kids into 5 or 6 figures of debt

So they can

Make “the investment”

Of college

When it cost the equivalent of a couple grand a year back in the day.

So they can work for your corporate shit companies

Til they die

To pay it off.

While you borrow money at a fraction of a percent to make more money.

You tell them to get mortgages

So they can be slaves to your banks.

You mail them credit cards

To spend money they don’t have

So you can own them.

You cheat on your trophy wife.

All the goddam time.

You go to church

Every Sunday.

You cured AIDs

But you just want all the gay people to die.

I saw Dallas Buyers.

That’s some real fucked up shit man.

Your Starbucks order takes a few minutes to say.

You have someone else get it for you anyway.

You pay women to have sex with you

One way or another.

You encourage everyone to laugh at anyone who talks like me

And say words like “conspiracy theory.”

You finance TV shows about it.

To underline that mentality as such.

You know where I live.

You listen to all my conversations,

Read all my emails,

Go through my phone.

You watch me in my most intimate moments.
Maybe you'll learn something

You fucking perv.

I know you know me

But I know you too.

I see you.

And I see your shit.

You own all the food companies.

You put shit in our food, and tell the FDA not to tell us.

We literally drink your Kool Aid.

Well I don’t drink Kool Aid.

I’m writing a “if superheroes were real” movie.

And I was trying to think of a bad guy.

For years.

Guess who I thought of in the end?

You.

I found you in your darkness.

It touches me everyday.

But I am a light in your darkness.

You’ve killed more people than any serial killer.

You’re the real bad guy.

 

I know you killed JFK.

Because he wasn't afraid of you.

Most people are afraid of you.

Most of the other ones end up dead.

Well guess what?

I am not afraid of you.

I know you’re gonna read this

And shit a little into your adult diaper.

My pens are mightier than your swords

And your pens too.

Because I speak the truth

And you run from it.

Well, I was the fastest kid in my class.

I see you motherfucker.

And I see your shit.

And I will not be quiet.

So get ready:

I’m coming for you.

Letter to [Name]

I was driving the other day and felt strongly that I should release this into the universe. I didn't know why really, so I let it go a couple of days.

I wrote this letter in March of this year, months after the events within had transpired. I never sent it to the intended recipient, and don't think I ever will; even though most of the sentiments within, I believe, will never really go away.

Just because it isn't what it used to be doesn't mean it wasn't what it was.

Nothing people say to you in times like this really helps; but I got up this morning feeling that, someday, someone will read this, and know they are not alone.

 

---------------------------

Letter to [Name]  

 

When I saw your picture

I never thought you would message me back

You were too pretty

But I messaged anyway.

And you messaged back.

When we “talked”

I felt you were cooler and funnier than anyone I had ever known

But strong, and mature beyond your years.

From the pain.

When we met

You were even more beautiful

Than I’d imagined

And I didn’t think I had a chance

So it was easy to be cool.

And we became the best of friends.

I remember we talked for hours

And I didn’t want it to end.

I loved our walks together

And the ghost hunts

And how you wanted me around

Your bar til late

The other til later

And how we’d talk til early in the morning

And get donuts, coffee,

Attack spiders, trees, and rocks -

I felt alive with you.

I wanted to take your time

And you told me to take as much as I wanted…

And we were our favorite thing to do.

I remember feeling so happy

When you texted me

We made each other smile.

And that night we hugged

The first time.

It must have been for hours.

I still remember the smell of your hair.

LAF hugs. How we couldn’t let go of each other.

I remember the night I first kissed you

How it felt like magic.

God.

And how we were together the night after

And after that.

I wanted to be with you

From the first moment.

I was afraid because I felt I wasn’t good enough

Without all my shit together.

I was always surprised you wanted me

When you could have anyone.

Anyone.

And I loved you from the beginning.

I was afraid the day would come when you would realize I wasn’t good enough.

And you would dump me.

And I was right.

Those few months as your boyfriend were the very best of my life.

I never felt as I had felt

Nor had someone cared so much about me.

And I loved your daughter.

I have never seen a more beautiful, happy kid.

I loved her so much.

Do you remember the night under the moon?

We kissed and

They said it only happened every 20 years or so.

And I wanted to do all that again

With you

When it happened again.
And every time it happened.

I loved how joyful you were,

Hanging out with your friends,

Being goofy on the wine tour

And talking to you on the phone.

I’m sorry I wasn’t the best boyfriend.

I’ve watched the replays in my mind

Of almost every waking moment.

I coulda done so much better.

You deserved so much better.

I wanted to write a real poem

Something happy when we were together

And a sad one about after.

And one about how I was okay,

But the last one would have been a lie.

We texted a few times after.

I said too much, things you didn’t want to hear.

I left you alone

I just wanted you to be happy.

I miss you like hell.

I thought I’d never see you again.

I knew we’d never be together again.

I saw you everywhere but you weren’t there.

I felt your presence far away.

I stayed away. Because I’m no stalker.

I am a gentleman.

Even though I’m a rebel without a cause.

I want you to feel that I respected you

By my absence.

I remember that night.

You weren’t happy to see me.

We hadn’t talked for a while.

I know I was cool when you did it.

But I’m not gonna lie

I tried to go home and run

But I went home and cried

And I never cry.

I cried every night that week.

And inside ever since.

It took me a while to breathe again.

I still have trouble.

And it’s not the asthma.

Every song reminds me of you

Every story

Movie

Show

The jokes we used to tell

They aren’t funny anymore.

I see your sister at Starbucks.

She doesn’t talk to me anymore.

I’m not trying to talk to her either.

I had to get rid of everything.

I didn’t want to but it hurt too much.

I’m pretty good with words but

Now not so much.

I still wonder

When you broke up with me you said it was you, not me.

But the last time we texted you said

You would never change your mind about me

And we never got to talk about it.

So it was me.

But I will never understand.

And it hurt. It hurts a lot.

I didn’t write you, call you,

I haven’t sent this to you

Because I didn’t want to bother you.

I figured out a lot since then.

I had an awakening.

About living in the now

The quality, the width of life.

I’m walking in a better direction

The road less traveled.

I was running down the other one.

I wanted you to know I never told anyone the things you didn’t want anyone to know.

I miss you [NAME LASTNAME].

I miss you a lot.

And I know on the other end of this you don’t miss me.

I saw you the other day with [DAUGHTER’s NAME].

You had seen me first and you were going in the other direction.

I went home after that.

So you wouldn’t think I was stalking you.

Because I still love you.

I never got to tell you that.

And never will.

I really want you to be happy.

And realize how incredibly beautiful you are.

Because you are

The most beautiful person I have ever known.

And for a short time,

I was kissed by a rose.

I got on all the apps

To do as you said

And “move on.”

I met a few for coffee

But no one clicked.

I was spoiled with you.

And I haven’t been able to be with anyone since you.

And not because I couldn’t.

I just couldn’t.

They weren’t you. You were by far the best.

I miss you [NAME].

I just want you to be happy.

I’m glad it was me and not you that got hurt.

You didn’t know that I knew who you were and still loved you.

You were my kind of perfect.

You told me I was yours once.

I listen to a lot of music to try to help.

I run a lot.

People say time heals everything

And that someday I’ll be okay.

I wish I could believe that.

I don’t ever remember my dreams.

But you have been in them.

And I’m remembering those.

When I lay down I remember

All the times we used to cuddle together.

I don’t think I ever felt better

Than in those moments.

I am a writer and I don’t know how to finish this.

I guess this is how it ends.