Restoring Truth and Sanity

A News Response Poem

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There are yellow blossoms
on the bush in my yard.

illusion
noun

il·​lu·​sion i-ˈlü-zhən 

plural illusions
Synonyms of illusion

1
Are these really flowers?
or am I mistaking them 
for something else?

a
(1)

“It's unclear to us how many monuments have already been removed.”

: a misleading image presented to the vision : OPTICAL ILLUSION

(2)
: something that deceives or misleads intellectually

Am I just remembering last year’s blooms?

b
(1)

: perception of something objectively existing in such a way as to cause misinterpretation of its actual nature

(2)

Am I imaging the petals?

: HALLUCINATION sense 1

(3)
: a pattern capable of reversible perspective

2
"Our parks tell stories from the civil rights movement, the Civil War, and beyond." 

Are they really yellow?
Maybe they are white
or red or purple. 

(1)
: the state or fact of being intellectually deceived or misled : MISAPPREHENSION

Is my vision altered?

(2)
: an instance of such deception

I am not sure anymore.

b
obsolete : the action of deceiving

"Every American who cares about our country's history should be worried about what people, places, and themes disappear next."
 
What is a flower anyway?

3
: a fine plain transparent bobbinet or tulle usually made of silk and used for veils, trimmings, and dresses

"You can't control historical memory by controlling monuments." 

Were there ever flowers?

Were there ever any flowers?

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Author’s Note: This poem is a response to an Executive Order signed this week, aimed at "restoring truth and sanity to American history" – characterizing efforts to "undermine the remarkable achievements of the United States by casting its founding principles and historical milestones in a negative light.” Many news outlets, including NPR, reported on this.

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