Meditations on the Republic is a book of poetic fiction and satire, by Ruth Ann Kirton, and is a part of the author's Vanity Toombs Chronicles series. It is a series that uses fiction to chronicle life in the African-American community from the point of view of various segments of the community, particularly those that usually go unheard. In Meditations on the Republic, Poetry from the Vanity Toombs Chronicles, Vol. 1., the author offers philosophical thoughts on the state of the Republic with a whimsical twist that imagines the U.S.A. under covert National Socialism. Through poetry she opens up a prophetic debate and discussion on Democracy in the U.S.A. from the point of view of various segments of the population that live with its results, particularly the poor. The author welcomes rebuttals and is available for speaking engagements/tours. The premise of her argument is that the State of the Union is beginning to lean towards a Socialist ideology, which may one day become a full-blown Democratic Socialist Society. She describes a world in which the government has inserted itself into the American citizen's life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness through an ever- increasing expansion of centralized government into every aspect of American life and Constitutional freedoms. Through the use of government programs that often do more harm than good, systemic corruption becomes entrenched in the culture. The author encourages government reform through due process of law and order. She inspires Americans to remain civilized and hang in there, believing that the current unrest in the country shall pass, and, as always, Americans shall overcome. She rejects the idea that to make progress Americans need to break the rules, break faith with the Constitution, and divide themselves into the "haves" and the "have-nots," "Royalty" and "Slaves." Instead, the author believes that we the people, are at our best when we keep the Union together and focus on making it more perfect, rather than tearing down its strongholds, namely the rule of law and the Constitution. The poetry in Meditations on the Republic is Ruth Ann Kirton's first published book. Some of the poems include: Meditations on the Republic Part 1 & 2, Too deep for me Part 1 & 2, Is this a con-spiracy?, To tell the T-Ruth, Why the Black Peoples are still in the Ghetto, Peasants and Po-Cats, What's left to overcome?...dumb di, dumb di, da bull "Dum Diversas..". , and I be's compelled to say what I gots to say. (Portions written in the slave vernacular of the Antebellum South.) Ruth Ann Kirton attributes most of her success in life to the start her foster- mother Georgia Ella Coleman gave her and hopes that through her work she will show others that success is still possible in America today. Her follow-up publication from the Vanity Toombs Chronicles, Vol. 2 will be the novel September Miracle. It is scheduled for release in fall 2012 and will be available on amazon.com, on Kindle enabled devices, at the Createspace e-store at http: //www.po-catandpeasantpublishinginc.net and http: www.po-catandpeasantpublishinginc .mobi