Let’s summarize the state of the union:

Pigs are flying. Mittens are now needed in hell, where snowballs are thriving. A needle has been found in the proverbial haystack, and apples are falling ridiculously far from their trees.

The planets are considering reversing their orbits, and the sun isn’t really in the mood to rise every day but is under contract to do so. The man in the moon is seeking a new gig, and the force of gravity is trying hard not to lose its grip.

The figure in Munch’s The Scream has replaced Lincoln on the $5 bill, and sales of one-way tickets to Mars are exploding. Cows are finally coming home, and horses cannot be led to water but can be made to drink. Rock no longer crushes scissors, paper no longer covers rock, and scissors have lost their ability to cut paper. You can count the number of angels on the head of a pin, but every time a bell rings an angel no longer gets its wings. A stitch in time has dropped in value from being worth nine to being worth only three, and not every cloud has a silver lining.

In short, right now everything seems out of order and makes no sense. Lots of stuff we thought we knew apparently is not as it seems. The times they are a changin’ — but in the wrong direction for human rights.

Silence no longer speaks volumes — silence is just, well, silent. So use your voice.

For liberty and justice for all.

ⓒ 2016 Claudia Grossman