Carl “Papa” Palmer

I protest that I must protest—
   
That rights are bartered, not possessed    
That laws are bent for those best dressed    
That power plays the game of chess    
That we pawns are crushed and dispossessed

I protest that I must protest—
   
That our history facts are skewed at best  
That memory is repressed and distressed    
That progress does not pass the test   
That hope remains as half-addressed

I protest that I must protest—
   
That rage is seen as ill expressed    
That pain is labeled as obsessed    
That opposing opinion is repressed    
That silence leaves us all suppressed

I protest that I must protest—  
  
That no protest suggests our coalesce   
That revolt is labeled as mob unrest    
That truth is filled with second guess   
That peace is just a failed request

Carl “Papa” Palmer of Old Mill Road in Ridgeway, Virginia, lives in University Place, Washington. He is retired from the military and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), enjoying life as “Papa” to his descendants and being a Franciscan Hospice volunteer. Poetry awards include the Sally-Sue Hughes Memorial Award, DAVA, State Department of Florida Award, Veterans Voices T.H. Horton Award, and Gladys Feld Helzberg Award.

This poem appears in Uprooted: Poems of Resistance, Witness, and Survival (The Chaos Section Poetry Project, Fall 2026). We’re sharing each poem from the collection individually over the coming weeks. You can read the full book or download the free PDF here.