Randolph Nesbitt
47 years old
Aliso Viejo, CA
poet/artist/photographer, mortgage broker by trade
The Bully Down the Street
the TV news anchorman droned on
the little girl looked up at Grandma
what is that, Grandma
pre-m strike
it’s pre-emptive strike, little one
what does it mean
do you know what a bully is
yes, Johnny down the street
well, pre-emptive strike
is what a bully does
you mean pull my hair
and throw mud on my dress
when I haven’t done anything
yes, that’s it exactly
The Fear Factor
The Fear Factor
if people were not afraid
of being called unpatriotic
they would give you an honest
assessment of your actions
thus far
that assessment is this
you deserve all the glory
afforded a bounty hunter
nothing more
bounty hunter >n. 1. a person who hunts outlaws or wild animals for the bounty offered for capturing or killing them. 2. a person who seeks a reward for recovering valuable property. 3. Slang. a salesman or agent who works for a fee or commission.
Need to Know
at 3 in the morning
when I wake up hot
hear babies crying
even the drunks and all night
partygoers are silent
bright raucous parrot
finally perched
cage covered
finally
with eyes open into the dim
light of the room
my mind searches
for a name
just one name
so I can sleep
am I the only one
who searches
who needs to know
tell me who died in Iraq
tell me who went over there
thinking they would return
having done their duty
ready for school
homesick as hell
somebody’s husband
a son
smiling picture over the fireplace
tell me the names of those
dead in Iraq
so I can sleep
as they sleep
dead to the world
and god don’t tell me anymore
16 soldiers died today
4 soldiers were ambushed
1 was shot by a sniper
these aren’t unmanned drones
lazily cruising over sand
shot down by missiles
these are men in their prime
with blood in their veins
guys who drink beer
and fart to get a laugh
kids who just wrote their sweetheart
fear stuffed tightly between
scalp and helmet
who are they god damn it
tell me so I can sleep
and feel human again
and grieve
knowing that to care
is not a casualty
in this lied-about
absolutely unnecessary
insane war
Of Mice and Cheese
when you are pushing fifty
half a century behind you
things begin to look familiar
there is that phrase
about being around the block
nothing new
begins to ring
true
power corrupts
like coffee stains
on a white shirt
fear controls the masses
and like mice we scurry
down the “correct” path
often it is one
or but a few men
who err in their ways
just often enough
that in the last odd fifty
words like
impeach
subpoena
indictment
law suit
justice
traitor
have been voiced
by those mice
stopping long enough
to realize
the path is not correct
in those times
others stop also
and mice become men
the cheap cheese of deception
is no longer acceptable payment
for running the maze
what is unique
looking back over fifty years
is that those words
are not being voiced today
yet there seem to be so few
men
and an overabundance of
cheese
Runaway Train
strange
when it came through our town
some actually cheered
I have to admit
it looked impressive
the rumble before it reached the station
smoke billowing
the vibration of the ground
the wind as it went past
in other towns
people stood on the tracks
hoping the driver
would at least slow down
those people are no more
some people complain
when it goes through their towns
it needlessly frightens young children
other towns hardly react
especially in those towns
where it has passed before
it is not all it was made out to be
and now
its incessant roar and movement
and smoke
only disrupts the healthy hum
of normal life in a small town
back in the big city
where the idea for the train
came to be
delegates from the small towns meet
to find out if it is without a driver
as suspected
if it is
then why weren’t we told
those that stood on the tracks
may have been spared
no one in their right mind
stands on the tracks
to stop a runaway train
why has it been touted
as an amazing sight to be cheered
when it keeps us from using the tracks
to get what we need to live
it makes it hard to travel from town to town
at first when it began to run
and some called it just a train
or said it was not good
their words branded them
the rest of us did not speak
at the risk of being branded too
no one likes to be thought a hater of trains
not if that train is said
to bring the life and things we desire
so far the train has left nothing but soot
and crying children
and dead bodies
and nervous neighbors
outside of town
those that know the workings of trains
have pulled a couple of rails
next time it passes through
it will derail outside of town
away from the families and buildings
the sound of the feared freight train
crashing with all its cars
will be heard from town to town
and then maybe
the big city will stop sending
those mass mailings
The Train Is Coming
Stop What You Are Doing
Have A Look
This Is What You’ve Been Waiting For
then maybe back in the big city
they will realize
although we all love trains
no one likes a runaway train
no one likes being told
things are one way
and then finding out
they are not
Patriotism
I wish it were illegal
or at least impolite
to use that word
if you haven’t been
to war
to find out
what it truly means
you’d have to ask
the Vietnam vet
living on the street
who came back
a changed man
unable to cope with
“normal” life
or you would have to
wave over
one those veterans
marching in a parade
some of whom
have been to several
wars
at least then
it would be more difficult
for it to be used
like some magic incantation
to protect documents
and actions
that seek to undermine
the very reasons why
all those brave souls fought
and then we would honor
those that died in all wars
by protecting the word
that only they
should rightly use
or define
Goodbye 3-ring
it’s time for the circus to leave town
the clowns have become obnoxious
popcorn is stale
animals are old and toothless
someone set the elephant free
the tent has holes
and smells of manure
master of ceremonies
looks like every alley drunk
you’ve ever seen
oblivious to reality
and his dying brain
Naqoyqatsi
none of us
are frightened
we have not seen
each cold face
vultures picking
at the bones
shattered families
missing the breadwinner
the only thing cold and hard
for us is the toilet seat
bright flash daily for us
computer screen coming on
we have bitten off
more than we can chew
we find it easy
to root for attack
blood is merely
a word on a page
as we scroll down
did we win the battle
how many know
the smell of decomposing flesh
somehow the capture of one
balances the death of hundreds
still no one
comes clean
still the lies
justify the end result
war as a way of life
so easy from our vantage point
What We Meant
to say
was
they have
PLANS
for weapons
of mass destruction
the fax was blurry
and we could not
read that damn word
sorry
and even if
they didn’t have
plans
we knew
they were
thinking
of making plans
we are now
in the process
of coming up with
our own plans
which will allow
us to detain anyone
thinking of making plans
at least now
we have established
our right
to attack
any country
which thinks up plans
threatening
our plans
500 Dead (March 20, 2003 - January 17, 2004)
at this point
I just want to know
the real reason
like some sick desire
to know what was
in the mind
of a vicious
serial killer
what could he
have been thinking
as he stole lives
from communities
from families
what did he feel
as he heard
their dying words
once the number
reaches something
astounding
I no longer care
about the lies
he told
who cares
if he said he was
the plumber
and had blood-stained
wrenches
who cares that he was
under suspicion
and what lies he told
to the authorities
after so many deaths
does it become
like some habitual job
stamping out metal
parts in some auto
plant
the screams
part of the background
noise
the din of engines
what was the real reason
and why did it take so long
for him to be stopped
who even cares at this point
if he told the victims
he was the president
I just want to know
the real reason why
they’re dead
Blind State
this is the White House
that fears poetry
this is the President
who says, “what’s the difference”
this is the country
that attacks without provocation
this is the Constitution
systematically dismantled
this is our children
left behind to pay the bill
this is our friends
slapped in the face
this is your dreams
sold to the highest bidder
this is two rabid dogs running free
named Arrogance and Greed
What We Really Meant to Say Was
very nearly almost weapons
of mass destruction-related program
activities
or plans in the making
or on the drawing board and quite possibly
most of them look like regular cars or trucks
or sand dunes without
any real distinguishing features
and some may be cars but are in fact
going to be turned into something destructive
once we turn our backs and allow them
to pull those plans out of their back pockets
rest assured anyone in Iraq
making or holding plans or
planning or engaging in
any activities that
create something resembling or
shaped-like or smelling-like
a weapon of mass destruction
from a spy satellite
at 50,000 feet
will be held in the Cuba of our choice
until the plans disintegrate or
they have forgotten
the activity we deemed
threatening
to do this will
take lots of money
as tracking plans and
activities
and the thoughts preceding
plans and activities
is a highly technical process
but we must stay the course
and make the journey
to Mars
as the technology
developed in the process
of this historic and
timely endeavor will
enable us
to destroy completely
the plans and activities
which are in the minds of
those individuals in the next
country we are planning on
attacking
I hope this
once and for all
clarifies what we meant
Dominoes
like a simple arrangement
of dominoes
they all failed us
in succession
the intelligence community
the emergency response system
the president
congress
why would anyone
want to remove
the Constitution
it is the last domino standing
Finally Finally
after flying around
for months
30-thousand feet and
higher
where he could see
everything clear
writing in the sky
WEAPONS MASS DESTRUCTION
IMMINENT THREAT
we know what that means
we knew what we had
to do
you don’t take war
lightly
but the words in
the sky were clear
and and
his voice over the
crackling radio
repeated the same thing
WEAPONS MASS DESTRUCTION
IMMINENT THREAT
finally
after months
of refueling in
the air
writing words in the
sky
the brave pilot landed
we all gathered around
to hear if we had
done
the right thing
it being the first time
we had STARTED
a war
the roaring engines
shut down
finally
the pilot steps from the cockpit
and a reporter
puts a microphone
in front of his face
we saw your words
in the air
we went to war
we never found any
WEAPONS MASS DESTRUCTION
says the reporter
I didn’t have
enough
to write it all
I figured better safe
than sorry
they only had
the ABILITY
to create
WEAPONS MASS DESTRUCTION
says the pilot
ability is a long and difficult word
when you have to write it
in the air
but we just
went through a long
and difficult war
and lost 500 of
our best
says the reporter
I will write their names
in the sky says
the pilot
however long that takes
it’s the least
I can do
We Stopped
being America
when poetry
was not
welcome
Knocking
they are knocking on your door george bush
the displaced workers
the forgotten soldiers
they are knocking on your door john ashcroft
the forever detained
the wiretapped
they are knocking on your door donald rumsfeld
the guilty unless decided otherwise
the hoodwinked countries
they are knocking on your door karl rove
the sleeping masses
the butt-fucked media
they are knocking on your door colin powell
the u.n. security council
the u.s. congress
the unwanted children
are pushing them
biting at their ankles
their own children
hold guns to their heads
seeing the future
sold
sold
sold
in the name of
asocial
never-touched-a-shovel
white ass
arrogance
they are knocking now
soon they will breaking down your door
That's What You Say
when one man
takes a nation to war
based on lies
that’s what you say
when you see
the dead used
in advertising
that’s what you say
when you see
the Constitution
dismantled
in the name of freedom
that’s what you say
when Supreme Court judges
are appointed
in the dead of night
that’s what you say
when elected officials
are forced out of office
that’s what you say
when someone doesn’t
play by the rules
that’s what you say
when people out of work
are told
everything is OK
that’s what you say
when someone needs
the Gross National Product
of a small country
to win an election
CHICKENSHIT
Secret Letter
your children died
because I wanted a war
I am writing this to you
in confidence
because if you can see beyond
the death of your children
you will see the good
that has been created
we also do not want
to upset the masses
the mass of people
only know what
is fed to them
and cannot comprehend
all that must be done
behind the scenes to give
them what they need
please hold my confidence
and see beyond
your grief
yes your children are dead
but look at what we’ve gained
isn’t that a fair trade
No Fool
some saudis got rowdy
in our skies
but that ain’t all
no that ain’t all
it was a distraction
but it didn’t fool the wizard
cuz he ain’t no fool
the iraqis (pronounce eye-rack-ees)
brainwashed those saudis
to fly the friendly skis
and be unfriendly
but that ain’t all
no that ain’t all
those damn iraqis
hypnotized the patrolmen of the air
so they wouldn’t be there
but they weren’t ruthless
they made sure the wizard
was in a school working his magic
when hellfire rained down
but that ain’t all
no that ain’t all
they those wicked iraqis
asked us to train those
zombie saudis
how to fly the jumbo
and we did
yes we did
all this was so much
trouble but worth it
they wanted to distract us
from themselves
by pointing to the saudis
but that ain’t all
no that ain’t all
it didn’t work
they didn’t catch us
on vacation
we said bring it on
now we’re kicking ass
all over those iraqis
and they are sorry
they ever tried to fool us
for damn sure
but that ain’t all
no that ain’t all
When Fascism Becomes Fashionable
flames are all that is required
to pull the thumbs
off
a free society
flames and the redefining of
any and all words
that describe
the enemy
78 years after
the burning of
the reichstag in germany
two large matchsticks
are lit
in a state of emergency
rules are tossed
to the side of the road
like the carcass
of a holiday turkey
what is that sound
I hear
it is corporations
goose-stepping through
my neighborhood
I recognize
who is out front
of the drones
in uniforms
even without
his fucking mustache
Not Cannibals
it doesn’t make you a cannibal
to drink wine
from the skullcaps of dead soldiers
if the skullcaps come from the soldiers
of your enemy
it makes you genghis khan
if the skullcaps come from the soldiers
of your own army
it makes you a war president
Matters of Scale
my wife likes
to eat berries
strawberries
blueberries
raspberries
buys organic
they aren’t cheap
says they are rich in
antioxidants
I know I’m not getting
my daily dose
of pesticides
but she won’t be
dissuaded
this morning
it looked like
one rebellious berry
made it to the carpet
and left a stain
once I got out the
carpet spray
and knelt down to scrub
I could see
it was a red thread
and not a stain at all
it was then
that I realized
how easy
it would be to mistake
regular transport vehicles
for biological weapons labs
from thirty-thousand feet
if only someone
had thought
to take a look in person
maybe we wouldn’t have
gone to war
based on
a cartoon illustration
Declare War
the 9/11 commission report says
terrorism is a strategy
when in the history of the planet
has anyone ever
declared war
on a strategy
by what logic
does declaring war
on a strategy
make even one ounce
of sense
if there is no target
and no true enemy
then declaring a war
on a strategy
is a distraction
you might as well
declare war
on bad attitudes
either someone does not
understand the problem
or does not want to address
the problem
or really does not
give a shit
about the problem
I know that sounds like
a bad attitude
so declare war
My Apologies for the Parade
someone wanted this war
but not me
unfortunately wars are for sharing
I share the flag of
those saying attack
that cannot be denied
but as I watch you crying into
the camera
your family gone
I realize something
is amiss
now that this
is supposedly over
all the reasons
for what I’ve seen
and you’ve experienced
are locked in a filing cabinet
marked One More Down
but how many to go
your ruler made some
despicable mistakes
but he was not alone
our rulers believe
they are incapable of
making mistakes
which is the bigger crime
only a madman
would choose violence
to bring lasting peace
and war is
a parade of madmen
Jig Saw Puzzle
I’ve tried
a thousand times
in one-thousand ways
to put this
one-thousand piece
jig saw puzzle
together
we all know
a picture is worth
a thousand words
but what are the lives
of one-thousand men worth
it’s almost as if
the pieces were cut
from the heart of
this country
with no thought
of the final image
one-thousand soldiers
with no picture of the worth
of their lives
just a jig saw puzzle box
in the dark closet
of torn families
Smell the Lie
they are NOT committed
they are not COMMITTED
the language they use is
one of commitment and resolve
we will get him
we won’t stop
whatever it takes
we will bring him to justice
but they stop short
why
WHY
and then right in front of us
with no prize
NO PRIZE
off they go
into the next game plan
the next distraction
saying
bring ‘em on
we will find them
we will find THEM
they ARE there
they are THERE
we know
we KNOW
WE know
and nothing
they were not there
another country ripped apart
and nothing to show for it
just a broken down
dictator
who they had no intention
of bringing to true justice
anyhow
no intention
no INTENTION
NO intention
why
WHY
THEY are not committed
why should they be
if they don’t find anyone
if they don’t find anything
if they don’t solve any problems
they can keep this going a long time
they can keep this going A LONG TIME
they can use IT to take our power
and increase their own
that’s right
the PATRIOT act
they had to call it that
if they had called it
what it really is
it would have never passed
the DISSOLVE OUR FREEDOMS act
the GIVE THE PRESIDENT UNLIMITED POWER act
the DEMOCRACY IS WHAT I SAY IT IS act
they have no intention of finishing anything
why should they
without large problems to overshadow
the real everyday things that are
central to our peace
central to our daily existence
they are the most unconcerned
uncompassionate
ill prepared
bunch to hold our democracy hostage
ever
EVER
EVER
don’t be distracted by
their big words
look at their eyes
look at their EYES
they say
I’m lying so what
look
you’ll see it
and then what
how many more bombed-out countries
can this world take
before you wake up
and smell the lie
Traveler's Prayer
I wish I was from
saudi arabia
then I wouldn’t have to
stand in those long lines
to have my bags x-rayed
remove my shoes
and walk through
the metal detector
I could just get on board
and say the magic words
george sent me
let’s fly
Ship of Fools
what is it with me
I can’t get an email
with juvenile bumper stickers
of presidential candidates
without popping a vein
why do I give a damn
about those 900 soldiers
they made their choice
they believed the lie like
the rest of us
they took their chances
what does it matter
that they died
for a safer more democratic world
only to add fuel to the fire
of fascism and hate
who cares if it ain’t over
over there
who cares that
the thieves in office
will have to improvise another
calamity to snatch
the next four years
to run their game
so they can sell
their cheap-ass empty wares
on streets filled with the homeless
who cares
that I care
about this country
but because I say I care
and act like I care
the thieves in office
call me unpatriotic
who cares when wolves
eat your flock
as long as we call it
progress
wordsmiths are at the helm
while in the belly of the ship
we make toasts
to the captain and his crew
ignoring the water
which licks
our ankles
Catchy Little Marketing Campaign to Fill the Ranks
who can shoot like a man fighting
for his life
come and shoot with us
fill your pockets with pieces of jerky
for the long trek through
stifled lives long forgotten
kiss your wives and children
gently now
don’t make them see that it might be
the last kiss
come and shoot with us
pop off a few
get used to seeing a man
fall down a distance away
struck down by your perfect aim
and lead bullet message of hate
ignore the twinge in your gut
as your own life is diminished
by a speck carved bloody
from your humanity
come and shoot with us
and change the world
one dead body at a time
imagine all the gravestones
with KILLED BY
followed by your name
underneath the dead man’s name
all it took was a squeeze of
the trigger
now you will never
be the same
We the American People
We the American People,
Having come this far
Through fighting with those
Who would hinder our freedom to
Worship as we choose,
We Will Not Be Deceived.
We the American People,
Having braved the elements
To cross this great land
And claim it as our own to
Protect and enjoy,
We Will Not Be Deceived.
We the American People,
Having proven ourselves
As benchmarks of industry and
Commerce as examples to
Other nations,
We Will Not Be Deceived.
We the American People,
Having fought in the Great Wars
Which threatened and involved
All the major nations
In those times,
We Will Not Be Deceived.
We the American People,
Having lived through the
Great Depression and the
Assassination of a President and
Impeachment and
Corruption and
Scandal and
Insane Political Paranoia,
We Will Not Be Deceived.
We the American People,
The First Great Nation to
Truly Open Her Arms and
Create a Melting Pot of
Cultures Seeking Freedom,
We Will Not be Deceived.
We the American People,
Having no tolerance for
Liars and thieves and
Self-serving arrogant
Power-mongers in those
Positions designed to serve as
Our Representatives,
We Will Not Be Deceived.
We the American People,
Having watched our children
Pulled into wars without end
To rip open countries to
What end and watch the
Perpetrators of Our Pain
Run Free,
We Will Not Be Deceived.
We the American People,
Having seen the stupidity and
Insanity of desperate
Uncaring Politicians
Cast Our Vote,
WE WILL NOT BE DECEIVED.
Royal Dumb Idea
when the black knight of the apocalypse
and his numSKULL&bag-o-BONES squire
are banished
from the peaceful countryside
after bewitching the subjects
and sending the youth of the land
into battle with
unprotected lands
only one question will
remain to be answered
WHOSE FUCKING IDEA WAS IT
TO PUT THE BUMBLING SQUIRE
ON A JET
LOOKING LIKE A MONKEY
IN A JUMPSUIT
WITH HIS CROTCH BULGING
FROM THE EXCITEMENT
OF LANDING ON A
POSTAGE STAMP
(by the way, the sign strategically placed behind the squire
only revealed an excess of arrogance balanced by stupidity)
September 11th Anniversary
I’m awake
breathing like a mangy dog
happy on a soft bed
oblivious to my appearance
and odor
the world is coming awake
outside the window
coyotes run home
after clearing the streets of
cats rabbits mice
the sun lights the sky
warms the clouds
but wants a day off
like the rest of us
especially today
a day marked
like a sinister bull
branded
with death’s brand
the sun asks
how many corpses
will I warm today in
the desert
we decide the answer
but act like
it is out of our hands
we are awake
but coyotes have run off
with our souls
Dissent
dissent is not only patriotic
it is what this country was founded on
it grows everywhere wild
we planted it when we first came over
from mother england
it has not been that long
since the boats landed
to forget those seeds
small but all important
now that we are here
we aren’t going back
Turn Back the Clock
raise the bridge
fill the moat
silence the scientists
preach infallibility
in the banquet hall
send messengers throughout
the land
to decree your will
tax the peasants
clearly define the borders
require no less than
the lives
of countrymen and allies
act on any hint
any gossip
any nagging doubt
to rely on facts
spells death
to rely on friends
shows weakness
pull the books
off the shelves
rewrite history
daily remind the peasantry
of the dragon
in the hills
for those who remember
you were a squire but yesterday
there is the dungeon
stolen or not
who wears the crown
rules the kingdom
For You
I read and write about the war
every day
I know you tire of hearing about it
only because you don’t know anyone
there
at least one of ours dies
daily
they are all ours
when your foot touches the earth
a broken skull falls
there
some who are your age die
screaming
some younger die
disbelieving
I will continue to write and read
until it ends
or you
open your eyes
Some Days It is All I Can Do (for Margaret Hassan)
to keep myself from walking around crying
babbling when someone asks about
last night’s brain-dead comedy
I felt someone pulled off the streets
of baghdad this morning
her fear fogged my glasses
I reached in my pocket and lint
was pulled out
as the blindfold came down
over her eyes
the hard chair pressing against
her back
is stiffness in my neck
the tears are just there
behind my eyes like
the drops on the window
if she dies tonight
I will bathe in my tears
to try and cleanse at least
one soul
Thanks Chickenshit Peckers
these boys believe in war
as a means of getting what they want
there is no fear of death
as it does not come near them
you cast your ballot
and guaranteed for four more years of war
if my son is drafted
walk the other way when you see me coming
Responsibilities of War
I would like the president
to finish the life of
at least one soldier he sent to die
after a thousand deaths
it should be the law
the president shows up
and says hello mrs. jones
I’m your husband now
where are the children
the note I have says
I have a little boy and
a girl
she says hello
and hands him a lunch box
and sends him off
to work at the factory
he’s late
and doesn’t have any
sick time or vacation
because he’s been away
so long at war
How the World Works
so much has to happen
for a line of ants to make it
back to the hole in the ground
three-thousand more people
need to bleed to death from
bullet wounds
ten-thousand people must
have limbs blown off and
watch their arms or legs
from a distance like
a stiff dead dog
five-million people have to
see any hope of retirement
pushed off the end of the boat
one-hundred more people need to
get very wealthy
while soldiers sing at night
under a foreign moon
It's Official
the article described the attack on fallujah as
stunning
we are now officially dead as a country
we are now officially brainwashed as citizens
we continue the attack on a country
with no legitimate claim for our violence
but it goes on
as the leaves turn brown and fall
and votes are thrown by the side of the road
if that criminal attack this morning was stunning
then armageddon
must be a magnificent awe-inspiring spectacle
not to be missed
how can we reclaim our humanity
when death and destruction is
described as we would a beautiful woman
walking down a flight of stairs
Stop the Madness
at some intermission
between dropping those bombs
flattening those cities
creating a lifetime of pain
for untold thousands
stop
take a breath
and ask this one question
what would happen to Christianity
if the Vatican were destroyed
would Christianity suffer
or disappear
no
it does not reside
inside the Vatican
it resides within
the hearts and minds
of those who believe
I am not calling terrorism
a religion
I am not comparing leaders
of terrorist groups
to the Pope
I am simply saying
that if you continue with
your illogical schemes
to destroy something
which resides
in the hearts and minds
of its followers
you will create
a more convicted enemy
you will create
martyrs
you will create
heroes
you will create stories
for the belief system
you abhor
stories they can use
for generations
to recruit
examples of infamy
they will use to justify
their actions
and further their cause
you cannot protect a people
from a thought or a belief
nor can you destroy an idea
but you can
stop the madness
Light Under the Door
(In Memoriam: Margaret Hassan)
she did not toil there
to profit
from the flow of black gold
a brass door knob
a rusty bottle cap
a young girls voice saying thank you
may have found its way
into her suitcase
her hands trembled
not when the door was locked
but when it opened
not knowing the time
chosen to write upon her death
I see how this false war
could have led to this
the blackness echoed back to her
to the light under the door
she whispered
I would not have done otherwise
Eating Myself Through All This Crap to Try and Reach You
this country farts
stench of politicians’ worm-filled skulls
aroma of sewage-soaked dollars
buckets of blood from
those attacked for their own good
rotting
such a distance
such a great distance
walking the showroom
picking the newest SUV
walking the hallway
waiting for doctors to
stitch torn limbs on a child
thank god we don’t
have to see that shit
like the president
we can all believe
it ain’t there
The Value of a Dead Soldier
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Doe,
We regret to inform you that your son is deceased. He was attacked and killed by insurgents in Iraq. We want you to know that his last few breaths were unrestricted as he did not have on cumbersome body armor. You will not have to add guilt to your grief as the number of civilians who died in the firefight will not be reported as the hospital was destroyed prior to the battle.
Don’t let anyone tell you your son died needlessly. His death has value. Dick Cheney received thousands of dollars from his Halliburton stock increasing in value as your son fought bravely. The infallible Commander-in-Chief now has more capital to spend because of your son’s efforts. Keep that in mind as the President begins to spend his capital.
Your son’s demise puts us one step closer to peace in the Middle East. Remember, peace is priceless.
Although peace is priceless, war has a very high cost. I am sure you can understand that because of the price of this war we will have to reduce your son’s death benefit to his surviving wife and child.
Sincerely,
The United States of America
Tsunami
now all the talk is about
primordial salty water
that washes up and takes back
life
now we pull our resources together
because of 100,000 dead
we should do this
come to the aid of victims
all of us at some time
have broken down
in the middle of nowhere
yet I wonder
why are these wave victims
different
than the over 100,000
dead
killed by the tsunami
of one man’s twisted wave
dead in the desert
no one is coming
to help
meaningless waves
meaningless deaths
Teach Me
teach me how to
turn my face before the blow
strikes the hooded head
of the bound prisoner
like vinegar on the bleeding lips
of Christ
teach me how to
pretend pain is unfelt unless
I can feel it
blood spurts from
the nose of the deer
teach me the way
to drive hard and fast
into the stationary beast
imagining the sound of breaking bones
is freedom’s love song
teach me to
grind my heart into
sausage stuffing for
the next thanksgiving celebration
teach me to lie
looking you in the eye
while I slit your throat
teach me the devil’s
glorious way
teach me
that everything is useless
and everyone is nothing
teach me
about life
by feasting on death
teach me the secrets
of war
Hope in War
the rain came
as we slept
the thunder
brought our sorrow
who knew the tears
of clouds
would not be enough
to wash away
the blood of man’s shame
or that death could not
be tamed
to fulfill
our perverted desire
peace through violence
we knew
War Creates Men Fit for War
I cut my teeth on this
false war
learned to bite like
a bristled hog
and hang on
through all the mud
clothes shredded
cuts dripping blood
my eyes never left
the soft neck of that
pudgy yellow head
The American Way
on
special
planes
in
the
middle
of
the
night
we
send
people
away
to
other
countries
to
be
tortured
by
others
Afghan Immigrant and the Wealthy
Afghanistan post-war
overflowing mugs and song – a dead man’s party
quite possibly the most extensive
the crime scene was obviously the way to
ESCAPE}
when misinformed troops
add a plethora of information
for tanks filled with military rectitude
forget the origin of
PASSION}
pre-emptive wars of the future
racial subjectivity, homelessness, abandoned cities
progenitor as a little too heavy-handed
recognize the history and the
THRILL}
best of all is the
muffled rambling Karl Rove score
over five hours of extended
foul stench of his own
SUSPENSE}
it features two militaristic menus
hidden voices follow toward a flashback of
Russian grunts closeup
until the total
FASCINATION}
fascist interviews
another epic empty battle
calls to prayer
for the first time heartless
LAUGHTER}
the seasons come under attack
time condenses and citizens are lulled to sleep
including a number of countries
safe in your home reading
GLAMOUR}
auditorium setting
only the privileged get to see this
speeches which cross-reference and cross-out
remove your judgment about lacking
BRILLIANCE}
combat: an epilogue
soldiers guarding the oil frontier
empire coveting creates winter as
a hole in our soul, where power equals
BLISS}
a narrow range of views
scripted by the director himself and occasionally
discussed in the media
but there is no one to answer the question about
FANTASY}
the Salem witch trials and
Middle East war
anti-corporate radicals pissing in the wind
but we must first talk about
HEAT}
It’s 7AM America, Time to Wake Up
at what point do we realize
there is no other side
of the world
it is a big ball with
only one side – one skin
on what day do we see
the Afghan and Iraqi
awake in the middle of the night
like you and me
feeling angry and helpless – brothers in pain
in what intersection do we look up
and see the cameras watching
and ask who is
watching and why
and say enough – demand our privacy
at what war do we stop giving
our support to the demons
intent on death
and show support for
the soldier
by bringing him home
to finish his life
a whole man – our son
Yonder
the angel of the Lord
called unto us out of heaven
but we were too busy
and our ears listened elsewhere
and the horns of the ram
we fashioned are
caught in the thicket of greed
it is too late
it is much too late
we never heard
the redemptive words
I do not want
your sons as
a burnt offering
and so we
sacrifice them
still
our only sons
burnt upon the altar
of our ever
growing shame
The Big Empty World
what we’ve got now is ergonomic spiritual brainwashing
leadership dominated by straw men who exude an ugly miasma
do you think I would rather be in the toilet bowl in the palace
or give away unscratched lottery tickets
fiefdom is ready to reach us from the most unexpected donors
abject failure to achieve the stated rendition of fear-based security
peasants appreciate the recluses for their caved-in skulls
the words “pure blunder” reference the CIA’s assassin trainings
it is always a simple matter to drag people
alienate potential allies and create a more dangerous world
my advice is this: don’t be a fool
keep the spotlight off little-known American history
they can claim a propensity for bankruptcy
and other transparent strategies
when the emperor is dull, drink; when the emperor is retarded, suicide
purity of leadership includes not just its ingredients but the practices
tell them they are being attacked
ruthless tactics sow the seeds of extreme profits
no, cried the people
the much-ignored connection between greed and war
American soldiers: innocent, strong, idealistic, real faces
the plastic flower casts a dark shadow
the American-style hobo, homeless person, survivalist
does he have the capacity to catalyze social change
he can be a sonofabitch but at least he’s out there in the puddle
famous photograph of a nine-year old, running naked, her skin on fire
great cities rise and fall now
strategies of war-making are working to tip the balance
war diminishes the need for a good product
an empire fearing an uprising from the barbarians
hermits are not ignorant of culture but rather choose the time
an effective method of resistance and change
to win this war will take a revolution
what is that noise, I ask when the guard brings my food
wandering as an itinerant preacher
one tactic is to present something shocking
that was Hermann Goering speaking at the Nuremberg trials
like heroin poppies in Afghanistan, the fear-based civilization is in full bloom
enter the cave and emerge on the other side in a perfect society
these constructions serve dual roles of rope burn and bitter pill
Sieg Heil – The Movie
levy said
4th Reich who knows
maybe he was right
maybe he is right now
floating above my pen
pushing the ink out into
words
maybe he is here
reich now
maybe reich now
this wheelbarrow race
of upper class thumb suckers
drilling for oil in
any virgin piece of land
has come to a stop
a halt
alto
not like alto-soprano
but a stop
to cease and desist
reich now I’m telling you
that’s the problem
with pig knuckles
they won’t desist when
you want them to
reich now I’d like to
bend someone’s ear or
tweak someone’s nose
perhaps burn someone’s
ass reich now
but I can see
the damnable
ribbons support our troops
displayed on hummers
tailgating on the way to
starbucks
caffeine, CASH and cocksuking
the 3 C’s
everything else is over there
EYE – RACK
where young men and women go
to play soldier and
represent
the 4th Reich
reich now
when the earth bleeds
underneath the sidewalks
and skyscrapers
and toilets
reich now
without missing a beat she
bleeds so quiet it can’t
be serious
besides the dollars to
be made pulled from the arse
of cheap labor on foreign shores
is hideous
so good pockets bulging
with green while red
blood of Mother Earth
reveals footsteps through
the graveyard of children crushed
in the gears of industry and war
reich now
too bad not our problem
men with funny accents and
funny ways of talking have
the stage and we
are too cheap to
ask for a refund
reich now
Are We There Yet?
don’t they understand how important it is to keep
their mouths shut
if they open their mouths and blab about not
having enough armor then people will begin
to ask where the money goes
where has it gone I don’t really know
don’t really care
I’m getting what
I want out of this my ass is greased
my wallets bulging amen, brother
marching and shooting that’s all
that’s all they should be doing
not thinking, by god
no thinking allowed and most of all
no talking
don’t talk to anyone least of all your mother
we are at war
blood gets shed during war
but money is made and beds are made and
graves are dug during war I would hate
to have to dig a grave for those who don’t know
when to shut their traps
my god man where is your loyalty
kiss my ring or my ass I don’t care which
just make it nice and long let it linger
then maybe just maybe
I’ll keep my finger off the button to
end your career right here
The First Lady Jokes That She is Desperate
from a distance of
thousands of miles
we could tell they
had WMD
from two miles away
we can aim
a 40mm cannon
shred a man
like so much cheese
paroling their streets
we can’t tell they
don’t want us there
from here
it looks like the
end of civilization
Things To Do Today
1.Charge the President and his Administration with treason
2.Dissolve the CIA
3.Restore the Constitution
4.Leave Social Security intact
5.Withdraw troops from Iraq
6.Rejoin Civilization
Sad but True
of all my emails
that I’ve sent
and I send a lot
of left wing crap
it was the quote
by hitler
that got the seminary-trained
never-responds-to-shit
never-even-a-peep
brother to respond
with not one
but three
emails
because hitler
had used the word
the word
that none can
desecrate
a ball of flame
rose up in his heart
that in his righteous
anger and intelligence
he just had to respond
and respond he did
and missed the point
entirely
but he proved himself right
and was willing to begin
a rigorous discussion if
need be
to intellectualize through
any shit about
that word that any
may want to vilify
or stain
the word was
Christian
which right now
does not mean
what I think
Christ meant it
to mean
"The national government will maintain and defend the foundations on which the power of our nation rests. It will offer strong protection to Christianity as the very basis of our collective morality.
"Today Christians stand at the head of our country. We want to fill our culture again with the Christian spirit. We want to burn out all the recent immoral
developments in literature, in the theatre, and in the press-in short, we want to burn out the poison of immorality which has entered into our whole life
and culture as a result of liberal excess during recent years."
Adolf Hitler. ( in his first radio address to the German people after coming to power July 22, 1933; from My New Order, The Speeches of Adolf Hitler,
1922-1939, Vol. 1, pp. 871-872, Oxford University Press, London, 1942.)
Can We Stop Already?
that's great
I'm glad Denzel did that
but let's all stop making the erroneous leap
believing that being against the illegal war
(let's also, call it like it is)
is being against the troops
if we really supported them
they would have armor
if we really supported them
we would bring them home
and let them live their lives
to enjoy their children
as whole men and women
it is not an honorable thing
to throw away lives
in the name of anything
there is nothing honorable
this administration can point to
about this war they had to
rush into with
fabricated evidence
honor and patriotic and American
are only words this administration
can use to reference those they
have put in harms way and those
brave enough to speak out
against the lying bastards
support the troops
bring 'em home
support the troops
quit supporting this administration
which has no intention of
bringing 'em home
support the troops
get Osama - the REAL perpetrator
and stop dancing around in Iraq
support the troops
stop pretending that
this quagmire
has anything to do
with freedom
and democracy
and WMD
or 9-11
SUPPORT THE TROOPS
not the lying worthless pieces of shit
who sit in offices
they should be thrown out of
i don't know if i said this
support the troops
support the troops
support the troops
support the troops
support the troops
support the troops
support the troops
support the troops
support the troops
support the troops
support the troops
support the troops
and send Denzel to greet the coffins as
they are flown in
in the dead of night
and have him open
one of them up
and look inside
and then have him
write a 1,000 word
essay on
the glory of war
and have him
take that essay
to the wife
of that soldier
in that coffin
and have him
look her in the eye
and tell her it
was worth it
now that IS acting, baby
I bet he couldn't do it
as well as Bush did it
on TV the other night
what a performance
Oscar worthy
send me more
I'm just warming up
getting ready
for my trip
down south
if you know what I mean
Jizzaholic
karl is a fat man with bad teeth
who thinks he has the world by the balls
he is riding the crest of a wave for now
he will be washed up on shore soon
wondering what happened
thinking he could hold on to glory
imagining he could keep it hard forever
only to learn the hard way about the hard on
but not until he covers everything with jizz
the fucker will never go to trial or be shot
but he will be forgotten
like tyrannosaurus rex
which now has a special place
next to useless pottery
The Accounting Firm of Death and Destruction
I whisper the names
of the 25,000 dead that can
now be counted
I reach through the darkness
and hold the hand of
a child clutching
cartoon drawing of
biological weapons lab
is this a game
the child asks
no I say
as her image becomes
a mere wisp of smoke
it is war
and all that will be
remembered once it
finishes crushing untold
innocents
is that drawing
you have colored with
your blood
How I Responded to the News that I Am Now Living in the New Soviet Republic of America
there is no bible
there is no texas
there is no justice
there is only the jazz
piano and the silence
that slips
between the keys
Magicians of the 21st Century
they make bringing
down skyscrapers
look easy
they make taking
chickens from
the coop
look quite simple
they make
stealing us blind
a national
pastime
On a Train Carrying Troops to the Front
friends of fellatio
are impeached
while liars living large
dance a wicked dance
trolls with
fading memories hide
under every bridge
clickety-clack
soldiers pass pints
of courage
counting the future
dead, never seeing
bullets with their names
trolls gnaw
the bridge supports
shit beneath the tracks
clickety-clack
generals travel
in other ways
avoid a name
to grieve, never
remember a face
trolls devour
children in a foul
stew, reeking of
roasted futures
clickety-clack
crowds stand and cheer
for whatever reason
they are told, upon
returning home they
find their children gone
trolls remove
spikes securing
the rails, because
a dead man does
not tell
clickety-clack
Director's Notes
central casting
sent over the
dumbed-down
political figure today
hard to believe
a one-sided character
could be the
central figure in
a war movie
it was not that
long ago
that war flicks
focused on
heroes on
the battlefield
true patriots
now there is
this
a movie promoting
itself with a
poster of
a smirk
And the Beast Took Power and Destroyed Much of the Land
look at all
the spaghetti stuck
on the wall
if that isn’t
enough to take away
your liberties
I don’t
know what is
let me write patriotic
with a spicy
meat sauce
see how it runs
like blood
doesn’t that confirm
that some must
be shed
I have taken
so much valuable
time throwing
so much against
the wall
how dare you
ask me to
explain anything when
a war is going on
your role
is changing
you won’t have
to bother yourself
with thinking very
much from
now on
my job is
to simplify
your existence
and when
things get in
disarray
I will fall back
on the tried
and true method
of throwing
spaghetti against
the wall
you can count
on that
my methods are
not your methods
neither are
my ways
your ways
as far as
the war is
from your door
are my thoughts
from your thoughts
Love Means I Want to Fuck You
listen motherfucker
you learned this years
ago
what makes you think
the patriot act is
about patriotism
or that the free
trade act is
about free trade
your daughter was
raped by
a law man
who was not
about law
the words to
describe a thing
do not reveal
but conceal
pull your head
out and
breathe some
fresh air
before telling me
what you
believe in
and god
don’t use the
word god
and if you
must point to
iraq
do it correctly
and point to
washington with
your middle
finger
Cowboy Dreams
I watched
the impeachment proceedings
with rapt attention
incredulous that it
was finally happening before
my eyes
the emperor was
a sad figure
with pants down
around his ankles
even the action
in iraq seemed less
strained now that
the burr was removed
from under the saddle
Comes the Dawn
when the bells of
broken dreams stop
ringing
when the children
of war’s sister
go to sleep
when the teeth of
arrogance are pulled
when the chaste
road is
paved
when the nipples
of time
are pierced
when the sunken ships of
love’s armada
are resurrected
when the window
of silence
is shut
Stand with Cindy
as you lay in bed
praying tonight
for the war to end
your only son
rides in a vehicle
without armor
a man who lost
his daughter last week
holds a rocket launcher
the bush twins down
another jello shot
as you reach for
your morning coffee
your son bleeds
the man with
the rocket launcher
finds he still grieves
osama sips some
coffee and reviews
plans before him
the bush twins down
another jello shot
an unmarked military
vehicle turns down
your street
a broken man with
a gun to his head
sits in baghdad
donald looks over
the plans to
attack iran
the bush twins down
another jello shot
your legs quiver
as you stand at
graveside
a man finds his
brother in a room
without a face
the president
drives past another
mother in a ditch
the bush twins down
another jello shot
Crawford Ranch Epitaph
are you afraid of
mothers of
dead soldiers
hearts should
be locked
away in secret
while men
play their war games
does the fear
of your
own penis
without a
sheath or
dose of salt peter
make you flip
old testament pages
is it easy for
you to drive
past women in tears
women with
years of empty
days alone
no son to bring
a grandchild home
remember as you
go on with
your life
conveniently
ignoring mothers
without sons
your army is one
of sons with mothers
Burning Bush
call me crazy but
I believe god spoke directly
to george w. bush
I believe he whispered in
his ear
attack iraq, george
those muslims are going to hell
anyway
tell a lie if you must to get
the american people behind you
but get it done
what about jesus
george asked
jesus said love
your enemies
jesus is only my son
I’m the father
you are talking directly
to me
you don’t need approval
or direction from
anyone else
even jesus
if people refuse to
back you then
they are refusing to
back me
and going directly
to hell quite frankly
nothing much
we can do about that
just stay the course
how will I know
that it is really you
that is talking to me
in the future
I will take on the appearance
of Karl Rove but
I will be glowing
like I’ve just had a vigorous
salt rub massage
or sex with four harlots
but in actuality it
will be my divine mojo
shining through
and beware of satan
for he plans to try
and stop your divine mission
he will come to you
in the form of
a grieving mother
and please please
do have more torture
like we had during the
inquisition
I’ve missed that terribly
nothing makes me feel
more godlike than
torture
I will do as you say
father
said george
and then immediately
went on vacation
to the crawford ranch
The Answer to War is in a Bowl
what if we
attacked people with
oatmeal
iraq was
still digging out
from a mountain
of porridge
everything stops
but nobody
starves
no one gets
hurt
weapon-makers
are unprofitable
farmers are in
the green
and get a tickertape
boys come home
it was just
like breakfast, ma
The Gospel According to Bush
Jesus drives a hummer
to work
monday through friday
on weekends, Jesus
is at the shooting range
with his ak-47
Jesus dines saturday
nights with
the president
nostalgic, Jesus
always checks
the tomb on easter
Jesus smiles
every time an iraqi
is blown to smithereens
Jesus uses the nails
from the crucifixion
to poke holes in the constitution
licensing his name
for most anything
Jesus charges a hellish rate
Jesus drinks from
the holy grail
and prays to himself
Jesus is on a bus
headed for venezuela
winos following close behind
Why of the Storm (Anniversary of 9-11)
what is the shape
of drowned highways
covering the road
from point A
to there is no point
everything under water
ignore situations
sing congratulations
a noble cause
clogs the drain
abandoned pets
another nuevo
republican legacy
reflecting forgotten
promises of charlatans
twin towers
of arrogance and greed
ignore situations
sing congratulations
pinpoint accurate
flying asks
where are your virgins
dissent the least
of our worries
with an amateur pilot
barking up
the wrong hurricane
It is Clear to Me Now
how hitler
created
a country full
of
blind
homicidal
automatons
and I think
it is pretty
amazing
because that makes
karl rove
over 100-years old
he doesn’t look
a day over
fifty
that fat fuck
gets all
the best fountain
of youth
elixirs
The Moon is Not a Source of Light
fire-bombing dresden could not
kill him
neither could obliterating
baghdad or
flattening fallujah
he always crawls
from the ashes
shining brighter
revealing the shadows
on television tonight he
said his name
was kurt vonnegut
but I call him
intelligent reason
and a seeker of truth
there may have
been a man
named vonnegut
that said impeachment
on the screen
as he must
sometimes reveal
himself as a body
with a voice
there are other forms
that will come
if we do not
listen
to the sun
and turn away
from the moon
Proposed Legislation
at thirteen
a woman’s
uterus should be
removed and placed in
the National Uterus Vault
somewhere in Virginia
of course it will
have a large day care and
reception area because
children are going to
want to visit their birthplace
and schools will bring
children to see
the national treasure
all the reproductive power
of the nation held in
one place
in this way
we avoid the tragedy
of women everywhere
making the wrong
choices about how
to use their uterus
instead the President
or more appropriately
the First Lady
will have a button
on her desk in
the Oval Office
which she pushes
when the Nation needs
more soldiers
Get Your Finger Out of Your Nose This Isn't Some Silly Narrative It's War
while a wrinkled white woman prays to god to
give the homeless the blessed experience of
camping out in a sports stadium complete with
rape and armed guards and locked doors
a black man from alabama bleeds to death in
a place called Iraq a place of grand history
a focal point of insanity distraction and
international thievery and and white lies
I say white lies because these treasonable
lies have been carefully crafted by white men
although many folk of color (black, brown,
etc.) have been duped to be talking heads and
spokespeople and clowns to espouse support
and regurgitate these lies but really they have
been shaped by white men bent on what
bent on insane uncaring sociopathic games
of chance using real human bodies and real
national resources to force their grand
schemes upon a drugged and hypnotized
populace but the schemes are not grand
nor good and the sports stadium really was
an instant prison because wrinkled white
women were afraid of the wandering homeless
and these lying fat ass white men are
afraid too afraid of us because we out number
them and that is why they need to test the
waters every chance they get and see if
during a disaster they can’t possibly lock up
as many of us as they can for our own good
shut down our towns and put as many goons
as possible in military vehicles with weapons
to patrol the streets in case we loot or
hurt ourselves during these disaster tests
it hurts to think that a patriotic brown man
from new mexico my neck of the woods
my home will be number two-thousand
another body for the pile these wicked white
men are using as the foundation for their
sick pathetic platform to build their senseless
rich-get-richer-and-the-rest-just-better-shut-up
prison world and that’s OK because the
over-the-top schemers of the past have all
ended up dying alone in a bunker while
the bombs marched across the land looking
looking for the idiot that thought war was
merely very violent but effective marketing
Luck of the Draw
I realize now
I haven’t won anything
all those empty shells
don’t add up
maybe one-hundred
people know my
name
I don’t get to
finish restoring
that old car
I don’t get
to find my
high school sweetheart
online
the pain you
feel looking
ahead is all
a backwards glance
to me
I knew the
number today
we all knew
the number
I was too
careful too
afraid
I drew the bullet
to me like
a bee
sensing my fear
I felt no
sting but
laughed
to myself that
two-thousand
could be such
an unlucky number
so far
from thirteen
so far
from home
Dance for Us, George
take a shot of whiskey
put your smirk on
the side table
peel off your
shirt like the soldiers
coming home in bags
free of flesh and
limbs
feel the beat of
automatic weapons
dance to the zing
of shrapnel
borrow a veil from
dick or karl or
condi and spin
on one heel
because one heel is
all we’ve seen since
the beginning of
this war
dance
drop your pants
begin to shake your
booty like the
duty of our men
in uniform expected to
lay it down with
no armor
no support
just a lot of ribbons
fucking ribbons of
useless prideful
emptiness
dance, george
dance and even
if you can’t carry
a tune
sing
at the top of
your lungs belt
it out
my country ‘tis of thee
sweet land of liberty
of thee I sing
but then stop
with a pregnant pause
and look directly into the camera
hold back the smirk
remember it is
on the side table
say
NOT
and give a great big belly
laugh and begin
looking under imaginary
rocks for mysteries
like a mime on speed
or smoking weed
or filled with greed
do the goose-step like
the goose that laid
the golden egg
just dance for
us george
just this once
before your wicked play
that has outlived its run
ends
you owe us this
at least
Trick or Treat
The Following Analysis of the Speech Made by George W. Bush on October, 28, 2005, Was Completed by Linguistic and Communication Experts to Determine if His Words Were 1) Relevant to Current Events, 2) True to Fact, And 3) Not Just a Re-hashing of Every Other Speech Made by the President to a Hand-picked, Cavity-searched, Rehearsed, Die-hard Republican Audience:
Section 1:
this section at the beginning is called The Warm-Up, in this section, the President throws about information to get heads bobbing up and down in agreement – it is done by all good salespeople to make the sale easier at the end – interestingly, the President made numerous references to Al Qaeda and Islamic extremists as if he had the playbook or gameplan of these folks, interesting because if he had said information we could actually be effective in stopping these folks – Red Flag, the President referred to 9-11, this is a tell-tale sign that he is attempting to get tacit approval for his next round of actions whatever those might be – it is almost as if the President believes that the American Public does not know 9-11 has absolutely nothing to do with our being in Iraq based upon false information
Section 2:
this is The Body of the Speech of October 28, 2005, during this section George W. Bush started to connect the dots – interesting in that the President can connect the dots where there is no connection and/or dots – it is somewhat like saying, “Of course she’s a witch, she mumbles to herself. There’s your evidence. Of course, we must burn her in order to restore order to our village.” – in essence, the President is saying this, a) we are in Iraq and I will never reference that we are there based upon false information created because I requested it, b) we have spent billions of dollars that could have been used to help us at home but that’s where I want our money to go, c) the Iraqis may not want us there, but it is for their own good because Democracy is good, d) thousands of soldiers have lost their lives based upon going to war based upon false information and now that they are dead we must honor them by continuing to fight otherwise they died for nothing even though they really did die for nothing but I’m not going to talk about that – the speech only holds together if you don’t see that it is based upon circular references, illogical assumptions and just plain unintelligent meandering and pure, unadulterated salesmanship – the President has used a rehashing of every other speech he has made because he has no new information, he really does not have a plan and the only thing going for him is if it is possible to keep a fire burning about 9-11 – this is a tried and true used car sales technique where the buyer is not allowed to look at the rusted-out door panels but is ushered around the car and told how good he will look behind the wheel and that women will flock to him as if by magic, no reference is made to the engine or past problems of the car only statements playing upon the buyers emotional response – Red Flag, reference to 9-11
Section 3:
The Closing or Asking for the Sale – in this section, the President asks the American Public to take what he is selling hook, line and sinker – he wants soldiers to march around Iraq indefinitely – he does not care how many will die – these are not activities that guarantee Americans will be safer but he will not mention that – in this section he is literally racing to the finish, it is what is done when a salesman gets to the end and begins to talk really fast as he is putting the pen in your hand to sign on the dotted line – his justification for being in Iraq and for staying there are all based upon playing on the emotions of the American people – there is no meat to this speech as we say in the communication biz – it is all fluff – he might as well have Condi and Cheney and Rove on stage behind him chanting, “Remember Nine-One-One Until We’ve Won” – the President is obviously going to continue to use 9-11 for his actions in the Middle East and he is going to keep it a secret what “winning” this war means and so we are destined to stay in Iraq indefinitely and to see more innocent soldiers destroyed by the biggest con job ever to be pulled on the American Public – Red Flag, Red Flag, 9-11, 9-11
Final Analysis:
The President’s speechwriters are being paid way too much money – the President’s advisors are clearly all yes-men – perhaps his slip the other day on national television calling his wife Barbara is closer to the truth than we know
The Truth About War
you want it
so bad
because you’ve been
storing munitions
in your left
pant leg for years
you say
“It’s just a limp,
doesn’t hurt”
while gently steering
nieces and nephews
safely away
secretly you pray
“Bring war, God,
let me walk again”
death does not
bother you
and you can’t
remember what it
is like to be
touched by another
human being
war forces so
many to
touch that it must
be good
for everyone
I Think in Steel Girders and Hot Metal Rivets (Veterans Day, November 11, 2005)
only boulders the size of a small
house pass cleanly into my
blood stream only smoking
lava clears my palate for
the next shot of genocide
rockets pick my teeth armies
wipe my ass tender mercies
stir in the cauldron of
fetid stew morsels of tripe
from breeding thousands localized
torture offset white religious walls
hanging images of my cock
in full erect hardness
dripping I am war not
the god of not the demi-god
of not the devil I am
WAR take me in
your mouth while I slurp
your eyes from a crystal goblet
Phosphorous is a Mineral, Every Body Needs Phosphorous
it is a known fact
that of all minerals
phosphorous is the one
most depleted during
times of war
it is because of
this fact that
phosphorous in large
quantities was dropped
on fallujah
so that those poor
people brutalized by
the madman saddam hussein
would have a chance
to survive and
learn what a privilege
it is to live
in freedom under
democratic rule
What They Don't Teach at the Army War College
when you
kill another man
it is
always the wrong
man
it is
always you
Not Only
I am not
the great poet
but you are
not the great
war president
nor are you the
beautiful hollywood
superstar
nor are you the
fabulous narcissistic
magazine mogul
nor are you the ultra-
rich computer whiz
nor are you
the soft-spoken
nobel prize winner
nor are you the
alcoholic homeless man
nor are you
the legless iraqi child
enjoying her new-found freedom
in a wheelchair
nor are you
the neighborhood
pimp dying from AIDS
nor are you
the couple dying from
lack of concern
sitting in traffic
breathing in
the exhaust from
a red hummer
And It Did
I saw you
standing there
with a piece
of truth
tied around
your ankle
as the parade
went by
I was choking
on karl lagerfeld
gold jewelry
our eyes met
as the one-armed
soldier walked by
your hair
smelled of wine
and circumstance
my jeans
were patched
with chili pods
and sideways glances
only time
will tell
if the dark
circles we drew
are worth
the marching band
I’ve Wasted My Time Writing War Poems for You
at first I laughed when you
poured extra-thick BBQ sauce
over my words it seemed like
performance art which seemed
poetic or at least tastefully
stating that you would like others
to eat my words but now
it’s as plain as the limo
in your driveway you were
preparing my words for
the grill and saving enough
sauce for me so you
could have something to snack
while you profit from the
noble dead in your desert
business venture with
mushroom cloud logo
Warren Zevon Ain’t Got Nothing On Me
I’m sorry but this
war has begun
to distort my vision
I saw a video
of bono from
U2 shaking hands
with the creature
from the black
lagoon only to
be told that
the creature
was condi
even so
I’m sure I saw
a werewolf standing
beside bush
and that guy
makes bush seem
well
almost human
The Smell is Really Bad
dear fbi agent
monitoring the
poets against the
war website
I don’t know
you but I
assume you took
an oath to
protect the
constitution
if you then
take the
constitution
into the bathroom
to wipe
your ass
basically you
make it hard
for the rest
of us to
get close
enough to it
to read and
understand how
our rights
are being
violated
we would
appreciate it
if you would
investigate
dimwits who
think the
constitution
is nothing but
a god damn
piece of paper
rather than those
of us who
know the difference
between the smell
of shit
and the smell of
freedom
Act as If
senator john cornyn said
“none of your
civil liberties
matter much after
you’re dead”
he’s right
in fact nothing
matters if you’re
dead from a
terrorist attack
since 9-11
we should be
making decisions
as if we are
all dead from
terrorist attacks
so the next time
bush proposes to
take your civil
liberties and continue
dismantling the
constitution he
swore to protect
ask yourself
would this matter
if I was dead
from a terrorist attack
and then lay
back down
so when
the boys from
homeland security
drop by they
can make a
chalk outline
I Am at War, Therefore I Am
I carried a flag
like an altar boy
at the stations of
the cross
and who wouldn’t
my siblings carried
their flags and
I thought that
our flags somehow
made us more
of a family
but how long
can flags be
carried high
against a father
always marching
intense discussions
about the enemy
it is the same for
every war
the answer was
love and forgiveness
but the focus is
always on the fucking flags
Dueling Poets of Aristophanes
only a chorus
of frogs in
Hades could hold
the attention
of Athens
only a war
in Iraq could
divert attention away
while coffers
are emptied
only a dead
poet could hold
his tongue as
peace walks
off stage
Whispering Now
how can I seal
your bullets under
wax like a rare insect
convince the smithsonian
your words need to
be under glass
I could whisper such
words in your ear
both sides of your
mouth will reach skyward
you will actually
hear for the first time
a baby’s cry
faced with the
shame of rhetoric
traded for the horrors
of war
you will walk
to the beach and
begin looking for
starfish as your heart
will only be comforted
if you know for sure
their legs grow back
Breaching the Levees of Freedom and the Common Good
eagerness at the poker
table signals the
deck is stacked
and war was
already decided
chips are laid
down with
a wink
tips are tossed
to arms dealers
betting is the show
of patriotism
soldier deaths
cry all the way
from Troy
there are no
queens in the fray
and kings paw
the ground like
horses from
the apocalypse
no reins
wild eyes
snorting death
the standard bearer
also carries
a tray of drinks
cups of
blood from
the unnamed enemy
if you take
the oath
your own blood
if you don’t
That’s What They Are Told You Know
the ones who strap
on bombs
and wander
wild-eyed into
cafes and buses
they’re told
we are living in
an explosion
the big bang
is still expanding
and look at us
no scratches
walking about
surely the
big bang
is bigger than
a couple sticks
of TNT
you’ll find yourself
in a different
universe not much
different than
our own because
a couple of sticks
can only push
you so far
maybe Tupelo
or Winnipeg
don’t worry
just look for
the virgins
Must I Have Yellow Cake for Dessert?
yes yes it’s true
I’ve swallowed them
all of them
Rove sits in my gut
like a toad
his brain keeps me
awake at night
spinning constantly
like some hellish top
Rumsfeld crouches beside
my left eardrum
babbling military jargon
we are winning
and we have
won he barks through
clenched teeth
a Q-tip cannot
reach him
believe me
I tried
Condoleeza is stuck so
far up my sinus
I only smell bleach
and oil and something else
perhaps the smell of
a straightjacket or
empty briefcase
I sneeze without ceasing
my nose drips
I seem to be allergic to
my own thoughts
Cheney is now my tongue
flicking in and out of
my mouth like a
snake searching for
rodents in the grass
but everything tastes
like old money
unwashed handled by lowly
peasants yet now safe
in a Swiss vault
I’ve stopped eating
nothing like the taste
of money to create
a trim figure
actually I want to
die but I can’t
swallow my tongue
it is so fat
then there is Bush
he as always is
double fun and
has become my eyes
not even one is my
own which is what he
wants for all of us
I don’t see of course
I only see what he
wants me to see
I see women chained
to kitchen stoves and
bronze statues of
GW in every village square
I see Barbara slapping me
as a boy for scraping
my knee and sniffling or
adding digits incorrectly
George senior sits in a
dark corner mumbling
about Saddam
his eyes burn like fire
and I see a Monopoly
board game in a strategy
room of the Pentagon
little houses have been replaced
with little bombs
WMD to be exact
the game pieces are
little soldiers in
body bags
I would rather see
blackness than this
but my eyes seem to
be made of an
impenetrable metal
that cannot be gouged
or pierced or melted
and please forgive me
for speaking to you
with my eyes closed
I don’t see
people in the flesh
just their bones
Acceptance Speech
I accept this war on behalf of the American people. They couldn’t be here tonight because Wal Mart is having a sale on the Xbox 360. In fact, my wife is at the head of the line waiting for stores to open and has my list in her hand so I won’t miss out on those incredible savings by being here. I am honored to be here. Gosh, there are so many people to thank. Well, first, let me say this. I just can’t believe this war. Amazing, isn’t it? It just seems to keep going on and on, like it has a life of its own. But the good it is doing for the Iraqi people is worth it. Of course, I’m talking about the price, the dead, our brave American soldiers. Let’s give them all a round of applause. They deserve it. They’ve earned it. And it’s nice to know the soldiers who come back alive to the states are going to be honored and respected and live lives of comfort with good medical care just like the soldiers who returned from Viet Nam. That’s one thing you can say about America, we’ve never forgotten our brave soldiers. I mean just look at all the yellow ribbons on the cars in this parking lot. If there is one thing we do as a whole is support our troops. Plus we’ve got Veteran’s Day. My gosh, what country gives their soldiers a whole day. And I hate to spout off a little here, but I must, if the soldiers in Iraq really needed body armor, well, by God, the military powers-that-be would have given them body armor. Americans don’t send other Americans in to battle without all the right protections. We support our troops! Just look at the yellow ribbons if you are prone to think otherwise. I hope that puts an end to that nonsense. I’d like to thank God. If it wasn’t for Him being on our side we wouldn’t be winning. Just thinking about how Biblical it was that we got into this war makes me teary-eyed. I mean other than Bible school you rarely hear of God talking to people directly. We have a great President and God spoke to him directly and we got into this war. That makes me proud to be an American. I don’t see God speaking to any other leaders. There are great things that God intends to do with this country now that He is speaking directly to our President and our President is not afraid to attack other countries to stop the spread of terrorism and WMD. Thank you, God. And thank you, George W. Bush. We have free will as you all know and God could have spoken to our President and he could have decided to do something else. Hell, I don’t know what. Maybe go to the Crawford Ranch or go golfing or something. But, no, he listened to his Greater Father and said, I’m going to attack that country and he did. We should be thankful for that. If he hadn’t, Saddam would have gone on doing terrible things and probably would have plotted another terrible thing like 9-11. Saddam’s mind combined with the mind of Osama is an evil thing. Thank you, Mr. President for standing up to evil and starting this war. Of course, I’ve got to thank Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld. If it wasn’t for their advice and prodding of Congressmen and Senators, those folks representing the little guy could have voted to not give the President the power to take us to war. Thank you guys. I must thank Dick Cheney individually, too. Thank you, Dick Cheney, for being next in line. Hell, if something ever happened to the President you would be President. You know this. That’s probably why you are smiling all the time. What a great thing it is to be protected like that. I don't know about you all but it makes me feel secure. Thank you. Thanks to all the Senators and Congressmen for their wisdom to give one man the power to take us to war. God supports that decision and so does our great Constitution. I’m almost out of time. So here goes: I’d like to thank Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice. They are not only great Americans but they are great Black Americans. For them to rise up beyond their slavery and reach levels of power and then to honor all of us by supporting this Great President is just about the greatest most wonderful thing there is. Thank you, John Ashcroft. Thank you, Karl Rove. Wow. How can I not thank Karl? How do I say this and give him all the respect and thanks he deserves? Have you ever seen the movie, Men in Black? There is that scene where a dead guy is on the slab in a morgue, an alien in disguise, and his head opens up and there is a little alien guy in the driver’s seat. That’s what I think of when I think of Karl. I think if they opened up the President’s head there would be Karl all smiles and at the controls. Thank you, Karl. Thank you that we can trust you to orchestrate such great things that honor us all as Americans. You are truly a great man. Thank you, Mr. Wolfowitz. What a great name. I’ve got to say it again. Wolfowitz. Thank you. Thank you to all our coalition partners. There are too many to list and you know who you are. I’d like to say a very special thanks to all the Americans who have been watching this war and accepting it for what it is, something great and something that will make this world a better place. If it wasn’t for you folks watching day in and day out without a peep this war wouldn’t be able to go on and our brave soldiers and our visionary leadership wouldn’t be able to accomplish the great goals that need to be accomplished, like freedom and democracy in a country that has been trapped in the past and has had thousands of their people oppressed and tortured. Why we might’ve seen Iraq rise up and get the whole Middle East in an uproar because a lot of people over there hate what we stand for. And we all know what we stand for, don’t we? We do now, especially since I am up here accepting this war in the name of the American people. Thank you and good night.
I Am the Shawl That Covers the Head of the Captured Female Journalist
I was as soft as
could be when
roughly put about
her head
why did she
throw up figs eaten
at 3 a.m.
she needs to eat
needs more water
I am useless where
it concerns rape
I am not made for
defense
I like her head
am honored to
wipe her tears
why can’t we stroll
to the bazaar
laughing
I long for the breeze
the smell of spices
the sound of bells
even the camel’s growl
the soldiers call her Jill
they won’t leave us alone
so I can tell her
all my secrets
I cry and laugh when
she holds me in her hands
I don’t know why
I call her beautiful
I will whisper her name forever
Master Plan
today I bought a lottery
ticket with the money
that could have been used
to buy body armor
for soldiers
I don’t feel guilty
if I win I’ll
buy them all body
armor and oatmeal cookies
what true American does
not like oatmeal cookies
especially in the desert
tomorrow I’m going to
buy Halliburton stock
if the stock splits
I’ll take ten percent
and send bottles of
clean water to
the soldiers
who will then
have body armor
oatmeal cookies and
clean water
the day after that
I’m going to purchase
a rope and make
a noose and throw it
over a tree limb
I’m going to hang
the Constitution until
its legs stop kicking
because it gets in
the way of fighting
terrorism and George
know what’s best
he’s proven that
the day after that
just three days from
today I’m going
to get lots of penicillin
and canned goods and
several fire arms and ammo
because after the
soldiers return crippled
and the war isn’t over
and all the good jobs
are overseas and
we are all guilty as
terrorists until proven
innocent I want to
be able to at least survive
the insane anarchy
until those Canadian soldiers
march south to see what
resources are left
please leave your keys
in your car so
I’ll have something to
drive to the edge of
the city to meet them
otherwise they might
mistake me for
an insurgent and
shoot my ass before
I have a chance to
tell them what fun
we had experiencing
the dark ages first-hand
Telegram from George
hey I just wanted
to tell you all that
I stopped a really
deadly terrorist attack
four years ago
I just wanted to
tell you now well
because the time
is right since it
seems you are about
to lynch me for lying
and I need something
positive I’ve accomplished
in the recent past to
justify wiretapping your
phone in case you
happen to decide to
turn terrorist on me
P.S. I just cut funding
for whatever program
you were counting on
P.P.S. if you happen
to need a bomb any
time soon I’ve got plenty
Drawing a Cartoon of Myself Shitting on a Tank
rumi pondered
the meaning of
armies
picasso painted
quernica with
his own blood
I write these
words from
the ashes of
your apathy
burned to
warm my fingers
armies mean
the powerful
smell an opportunity
artists can behead
themselves for
all the generals care
my words will
flow till you
tire of the smoke
Americans Are in Denial So War Will Not Be Mentioned in This Poem
What will be mentioned
Are the most out-
Rageous attitudes
Without exception
Arrogance and greed
Running rampant
Who would’ve thought
America could become a
Rogue nation
Where are the
Armies of conscience
Renouncing atrocities
Will peace become
A faded memory
Relegated to textbooks
Was liberty sold
As just another
Reconstituted can of soup
When does the karma
Associated with dealing death
Reap its due
Whatever happens
A light went out
Respect died
Whistling winds
A parade of soldiers
Rape ignored
White bleeds from
America’s flag like
Rome before the fall
The Handwriting on the Wall
is written in ink
made with
depleted uranium
there are blank spaces
where the words
body armor
should be
the script is
barbaric
the words hint
at plans laid
long ago
some words are
underlined
in blood
the only
complete sentence is,
Nothing is sacred.
You Are a Terrorist
you stole two elections
you lied to the American people
you attacked another country
you de-stabilized the Middle East
you outed a covert operative
you use soldiers like pawns
you spy on U.S. citizens
you don’t even speak English
you can kiss my ass
you can get out of my country
Letter Written in the Dead of Night
Dear Europe,
Dear Middle East,
Dear Far East,
Dear Africa,
Dear South America,
We cannot control him. Although he holds the title of President,
he stole two elections. He steps outside the law and our elected
officials are too cowardly to say no. He shames us. He has
destroyed what greatness we once had. We think of you as
brothers and are saddened by the suffering he has caused. If we
have bombed you, we are sorry. If we are going to bomb you,
we are sorry. There is no easy way to stop a madman. It took a
World War and all the countries of the world to stop Der Führer.
That’s not good news but it is the truth. We pray. We light candles.
We realize there is only one God and He cannot be claimed by any
one religion. We realize we will have to pay for his mistakes; the
mistakes of one man without a God but himself. We would like to
meet you for coffee sometime. Please call. It’s not too late for us,
is it?
Sincerely,
America
Rebuilding the Berlin Wall in D.C.
I recognize the Politburo
there is always a haircut that
spells elite
I smell the gulag
photos are never the worst
that happened
that old isolated empire is dead
the new one is worshipped as
the Christ
perestroika sounded like a carnival ride
blinded by the word no one bothers to
tighten the bolts
we wait for the new Constitution
history warned would come when
glasnost hid with quail
Remember, There Have Always Been Terrorists
at no point in history do we
see an example where removing
a people’s civil liberties led to a
more secure society in fact
it is history which reveals anarchy,
gross redistribution of wealth,
despotic rule, peasantization of
society, paranoid persecution
of segments of society (based
upon race, gender, religion,
political leaning, etc.), and the
burden to restore balance
placed upon the backs of
future generations
for a leader to believe otherwise
reveals a lack of education or
ulterior motives or both
for people to idly sit by as
their civil liberties are diminished
is no different than the frog
in a pot of water that
is slowly heated to boiling
the outcome is inevitable
War Rots Under the Tree
we don’t need
remote viewing to
know what you are doing
we don’t need
elaborate intelligence
to know what is
to come
we smell the
funeral pyre behind
your words
we see the
shackles behind
your eyes
we are not
sated by
cooked flesh
we are not
blinded by
large banners
we merely follow
the words of jesus
and look for the fruit
we know you
There are No Generals Like Eisenhower
there is only this
a world infamous puppet show on tour
the show is called
The Life and Times of a War President
a character like Punch
holds a paddle marked with the letters WMD
the puppet show
stage is burning
journalists disappear in cities
where the puppet show plays
from behind the curtain come
the sounds of torture
every show begins with
the Bush twins reading Mein Kampf
every show ends
with the Constitution in a blender
Explaining My Anti-War E-mails for the Umpteenth Time
I send you all those articles not
because of my political leaning but
because I’m a patriotic motherfucker and
I smell a rat not the chew-through-your-
shoe-to-get-at-your-toes type of rat but the
I’m-going-to-eat-your-country-on-toast
kind of rat the kind of rat that will shit
in your oatmeal and then sell it to you
at a higher cost because now it has
raisins that’s the rat I smell and frankly
I’m rather surprised that you don’t smell
it but then you keep busy what with
all the bingo and video blackjack
and the shopping there’s that too
not to mention the gym and internet
plus the cable shows and regular
tv shows and church on sunday let’s
not forget church oh my and soccer
the other twenty-two hours in your
day but I guess you think because
you are in a frenzy doing all the
things everyone else is doing and
being the ultimate consumer with
no bombs bursting around you
that everything is ok and you happen
to be patriotic because you have a
yellow ribbon on the ass of your suv
I hate to tell you this but you can
tattoo that yellow ribbon on your
own ass and you will not be patriotic
and you are still missing the point
the point being a rat is eating the
country we stand in and on and
call ourselves proud of and you
may be ok with paying too much
for oatmeal with little shriveled
stinky raisins but I’m not I’m
not I’m blistering with that same
heat and intensity that you get
after the schoolyard bully punches
you for the fiftieth time and you
say that’s the last time that
a-hole lays a hand on me and
you don’t know how but somehow
you are going to rise above your
scrawniness and become a tiger
maybe kick that kid in the nuts
even though he has been passed
over three times in the fifth grade
and seems to have a little stubble
and smokes out back with the
janitor just one swift kick to bring
down the little playground kingdom
watch his buddies scatter for
the dark corners like the spiders
they are then look around
and realize the rest of the kids
were actually willing to live out
their days in this piece of earth
under the thumb of a neanderthal
who passes time by watching
violent video games and lighting
his own farts but that’s where
we are today and that’s why I
send you those articles and
hope beyond hope that you
will stop believing everything
that is fed to you by the evening
news and that you’ll stop eating
the oatmeal and take a look in
the mirror and see those dark
specks stuck between your teeth
and realize it was never a
fruit of any kind that has been
dried to further enhance its flavor
and shelf-life
Gore Vidal is Wrong, This Place is Not Broken
where is the reality
TV show about soldiers
coming home getting
a big house and two
new legs
where are the senators
who have read
the Constitution
where are the citizens
who know enough about
science to say hold
the presses
where are the journalists
that believe in
the freedom of the press
where are the women
tired of their bodies
being under the domain
of religious fanatics
where are the CEO’s
who feel ashamed
with a bonus of
several million
when employees lose
their pension plan
where are the countries
fed up with a rogue nation
banging the war drum
this place is not broken
we are fucked
How to Destroy a Nation (from the inside)
1. learn to lie with a straight face
2. get elected (or steal the election if necessary)
3. forget the people who think they elected you
4. shift the focus of government to favor the wealthy and corporations
5. re-write the Constitution
6. neuter other bodies of government
7. silence the opposition
8. consider everyone guilty until proven innocent
9. keep people locked up indefinitely
10. prepare for Armageddon
How to Destroy a Nation (from the outside)
1. attack it without provocation
2. remove those in power
3. shoot first, ask questions later
4. lock up anyone who looks suspicious
5. torture, torture, torture
6. torture some more
7. destroy the infrastructure
8. announce to the world that the plan is working
9. torture some more
10. threaten other countries nearby just to keep it interesting
From the Diary of a Shipwreck
why should I in
some beastly calm
like Pyrrho’s pig
be unmoved
by the waves which
break upon our hull
the ship is sound
provisions in the hold
only a captain bent
on battle at
any cost could
sink this voyage
only a madman
would burn the sails
to light our
way through
the moonless night
Three Years and Still No WMD
one man’s
torturer
is another man’s
president
It Is Easy to Be at War
Q: Why did Jesus walk on water?
A: To get to the other side.
it is hard to find
any remnant of
the Peloponnesian War today
much less the stylus
of Thucydides
but we believe there
were tribes and
rich soils and
victims
the glory of
plundering villages
caused poets to
write of pirates
while the luxurious
Athenian life was
protected at
all costs
the love of gain
the subjugation of the weak
the navy of Minos
what Homer says
and a king bent
on power
justified in rejecting
the foundations of
life
freedom
truth
misfortune is twice
as great when
armaments are hidden
in the temple
Expendable
the press secretary
stands and says
2500 dead
U.S. soldiers is
just a number
then so are
you and I
we have just swallowed
the information age
a bitter pill
and are flying over
the age of compassion
like a field of snow
headed not for
Dante’s inferno but
hell created by
a man who
does not read
the newspaper
Green Zone
no war there
fly in anytime
yeah, it may be
just a spot on
the map
but people believe
it is the
heat of battle
the heart of
hell’s living room
only a man
on a mission would
go there
I can fly
into the green
zone anytime I
want to
anytime as
long as dick says
it is OK
and my
poll numbers
are hideously low
Devil May Care
satan laughs as he sips hope
through an aluminum tube
that has as much chance
of being used in radioactive
weaponry as a piece of
your colon
he inserts words in
teleprompters that are
generic and loaded
emotionally psychically
politically
he prefers a hard penis
and a dry vagina
how do you spell friction
he lavishes praise
and then demands payment
in blood
or indifference
he stays the course
when there is no path
no plan
and the best chance
of showing children
their parents from
the inside out
recently he was heard to say
my favorite thing is destruction
in god’s name of course
death by any other name
is never as sweet
indignant and impatient
he rolls severed heads toward
bowling pins
never the same head twice
the path to winning
is only through more death he spits
always ending the press
conference with the words
trust me
and a wink
he gets so drunk during
wartime that he never
leaves the bed to
relieve himself
the back end of his car
is covered in yellow ribbons
his garage is filled
with body armor
fox news and halliburton
will inherit the bulk
of his estate
global warming is the
answer to his prayer
he is in the
last throes
always will be
Phone Lines Are Now Open, Vote For Your Favorite American Fascist President
let’s assume
our ways are
the best ways
drinking four-dollar
cups of coffee
injecting ourselves
with botulism
saving money by
spending it
driving tanks to
the grocery store
numbing our brains
with chemicals
covering our bodies
with mercury
and lead
filling our streams
with mercury and
lead
let’s subdue
other countries and
call it
spreading the gospel
let’s hold men as prisoners
and give them all
the last name
evildoer
let’s call on God
as our witness and
guide and
source of inspiration
while sucking
Satan’s dick
in the closet of
our minds
let’s destroy the
last great nation
not for a piece
of ass
but for the privilege of
killing without reason
and the honor of
seeing our reflection
in pools of blood
let’s tip the scales and
call it balanced
let’s drive home the point
with a laser-guided missile
let’s call ourselves
God’s agents of change
and burn holy books
let’s swear oaths
on moonless nights
let’s point fingers and
cover all mirrors
let’s walk to
the brink
of extinction
and shit
in the last
freshwater spring
let’s go out
with a bang
bang
Punctuation in Wartime
I like to use BANG instead of a period at the end of a sentenceBANG
It really makes communication finalBANG It hints at gun shots and
door slams and car engines backfiringBANG If I was the editor of a
newspaper, all pages and every article would have sentences ending
with bangBANG If every sentence ended with BANG, maybe we
would think about people on the other side of the world living every day
with the incessant bang of explosives and firing of automatic weaponsBANG Maybe we would begin to realize how that one noise drives whole nations crazyBANG Maybe after months or years of that obnoxious word at the
end of every sentence in every newspaper and every book would make us
put a stop to that sound and inevitable crazymakingBANG Maybe we
would realize that sound is death at the end of every sentenceBANG
Maybe we would end all the senseless killingBANG FinallyBANG PeriodBANG
Sample News Brief:
Today in Baghdad, a suicide bomber killed 20 U.S. soldiers and 13 Iraq
civiliansBANG This has been the most deadly day of the war since
President Bush declared victory while standing on the deck of the
aircraft carrier, USS Abraham LincolnBANG Still no sign of WMDBANG
The warrantless, illegal wiretapping of law-abiding U.S. citizens
continuesBANG The President has returned from Germany where he
sliced lots of porkBANG The President attended the memorial service
for his friend, Ken LayBANG The President will fly to the Crawford Ranch
today where he will cut lots of brushBANG Halliburton posted record
earnings on Wall StreetBANG The record highs continue across the nation despite the fact there is no hard evidence of global warmingBANG
There is now a big hole where Beirut used to beBANG All we can tell
you at this point is that before Beirut disappeared there was the sound
of a very loud bangBANG
Consulting the Oracle
I make a semi-circle
incision in my skin and
peel back the flesh
there is the old
testament with blood-
soaked pages
this means the gaza
strip and iraq will
face jehovah’s wrath
mouthing quaint words
I suture the wound with
hair from collateral damage
the old ones know
me as belial but
friends call me alberto
Special CIA Osama Bin Laden Unit Shut Down
why?
because the point never
was to catch him
the point was to raise
the fear and distraction
level of the American
people to the place where
our pockets could be
picked in broad daylight
while our friends and
family and neighbors
watch maybe even with
their fingers pointed at
us the point was to
use the horror and tragedy
to spy on you and me
and hand billions of
dollars to war profiteers
face it
if they had been interested
in the real culprits
they would have put 2 and 2
together and come up with
Saudi Arabia the place
where the majority of the
hijackers hailed from
if they had been interested
they would not have flown
Saudi Arabians out of the
country while you and I
were grounded
if they had been interested
really interested
they would have used
their energy and resources
and our money to
find the little weasel
still clutching the photo
of the twin towers with
two red X’s
instead they spent hours
into the night concocting
cartoons of mobile biological
weapons labs and stories
about aluminum tubes and
Nigerian yellow cake
yes, they have played
their hand and they are
not interested in the
least at least not
in capturing Osama or
winning any kind of
war on terror what
they are interested in
is green and it makes
Cheney do a Rumplestiltskin
end zone dance every
time his Halliburton
stock goes up
which is the only
direction it can go
now
and it makes papa
Bush proud that
Junior is following in
the family tradition
of green and more
green in any way and
as much as possible
after all it was the
Bush family that helped
finance Hitler
The Hitler
little mustache
big ego
millions dead
yeah, we know
what they are interested
in we somehow
just think maybe
(maybe its our anti-
depressants) maybe
somehow maybe it
makes sense to fight
them over there instead
of here somehow
it makes sense to
listen in on my
calls in case I
misdial and accidentally
call Al Qaeda
somehow it makes sense
to really be free it
only serves to reason
that our freedom must
be taken away
somehow in our cow-like
cud-chewing herd behavior
state of being led by the
nose and believing what we
are told I think it
is going to be easy
way too easy for
us to all repeat in
unison our new
pledge of allegiance
which begins with
the words
I believe in the
invisible plane that
struck the Pentagon
Mein Kampf is Just That in Book Form
a
series
of
signing
statements
Have a Great Sunday, Wherever and Whomever You Choose to Worship
Amidst the further decline of stability in the
Middle East and the deaths of so many civilians
every day, Condi plays the piano and Bush poses
with American Idol contestants. It is all so
surreal. America has become but a caricature of
itself. If there was a time when we all should
be marching through the streets with arms linked
and chanting for our survival this is it.
Unfortunately, the illegals who cut our lawns
and hand us our burgers over bright yellow
counters won't do that for us. Maybe we somehow
deserve this ignoble decline into oblivion.
I pray to the god that gives a shit.The one that
cares as much for Iraqi and Lebanese civilians
as she or he does for me. I pray with my poetry
and eyes open. I curse those who perfume the
dead. I grieve for who we once were. I spit in
the eye of the snarling dogs chasing that bitch
in heat called money. I will not be distracted
by the show and the clowns on TV. I swear an
oath to protect the Constitution while not
diddling myself through my boxers. The Constitution
is far from just a goddamed piece of paper.
George Bush is a goddamed frat boy forever
in the throes of a good drunk.
The Cedars of Lebanon Are Gone
and so are the
twin towers
and Psalm 92 must
be changed
now the righteous flourishing
can only be
compared to bombs
ever-growing arsenals
nuclear proliferation
destruction as commodity
the whole book
must be changed
the Book of Psalms is the Book
of Bombs
Bombs 92
the righteous shall
flourish like the
military
he shall grow
like the arsenal of
an aggressor nation
the smoldering cedars
of Lebanon
giving light to
the midnight bombing
raids of the righteous
from here
safe
holding my Bible
along with my
god-fearing president
I can watch
the righteous bring
forth fruit
scraping lands faraway
down to bare rock
from here I can
have sympathy for
the innocents
and ship missiles
to the righteous
from here
I can play the piano
and be heard
above the explosions
from here I can pose
for holy pictures and
sing to the Lord
while smelling the
sweet flower of
vengeance
Would Someone Please Raise John Lennon From the Dead
I prefer not to pull any punches.
I prefer my steak medium rare.
I prefer the pigeon shit on a statue and not me.
I prefer mercury in my thermometer and not my food.
I prefer freedom over imprisonment in the name of
anything.
I prefer the straight answer, the hot shower, the wild
flower over the perfectly manicured, fertilized,
pesticized landscape.
I prefer not to have a war that needs to be written
about because the news shows us nothing but images of
Mel Gibson ad nauseam.
I prefer giving peace a chance.
The Church of Soldiers’ Blood
I got a piece of war in my pocket
saving it for Sunday
cuz I gonna put it in the basket
give it back to God
I got a wicked little song in my head
cuz I’m tuned to Satan’s station
way down in Hell
music red like fire
I got no friends no more
they are dried up in the sand
I piss their names in the earth
like their lives was pissed away
How the Worst Band in History Became Superstars
if this current administration was
a rock band with its one
monotonous song of fear
it would be relegated to
playing stinking dives in
places like Needles and Kingman
instead, we are hypnotized
by the lyrics
purchase multiple copies of the pitiful CD
sacrifice our children to Mars, the war god
and turn up the volume when
we begin to hear the sweet melody of truth
all we lack are groupies
and that is just because
the video hasn’t been leaked
on the internet yet
yes, the band plays heavy metal
and is called Yellowcake
the band logo is
a pentagon with an
all-seeing eye in its center
the pentagon is surrounded on
all sides with a latin phrase
which roughly translated means
to the victor the oil
to the conquered
shit
Let Torture Continue Unabated
eagles once soared here
I don’t mean hawks
eagles like you see in
dreams bigger than life
larger than tract homes
how can I gather enough
acorns asks the squirrel
now vultures inhabit
our path
our land
the corner where we
used to gather to
shoot the shit
freely
vultures intent on
picking flesh off
our bones
watching waiting for
the next to die
sniffing the wind
for death’s scent
White Christmas 24-7
I am nuclear
I am nuclear
check out my glowing hands
why worry about fallout, baby
after I explode
everything is going to fall off
it took so long
to get here
much too long, baby
now that we’re here
let’s take some time
and enjoy the nuclear winter
now white christmas
can be played everywhere
all the time, baby
you are my radioactive
snow bunny
and me, well
I am nuclear
I am nuclear
Welcome to Jesus Camp
Let me remind you folks with your
hands cupping George Bush’s balls
ever so gently;
1)a one-party country is not a democracy,
it is a hypnotized, castrated dictatorship
2)torture does not work, it is just fun
for the torturer and a power-high for the
one ordering the torture
3)nuclear weapons are bad for everyone,
even the dimwits waving them around
4)no one likes to be forced to do
anything, forcing people and countries
to do our bidding means we are pissing
those people off
5)people that can’t admit their mistakes
leave a trail of dead bodies
6)George Bush does not talk to God,
I know, God told me
7)yes, now the Constitution is just
a goddamed piece of paper
Behold, Elisha is in Doshan
lives are not weighed
in the balance
I could deliver the message
with a stovepipe hat
a prophet can be paid to predict
ham is still eaten on rye
fighting today is not
about freedom
if a profit can be realized
high-tech fire power is called down from heaven
no bells ring in the town square
where spilling blood is kosher
jet engine’s roar drowns out
the still small voice
Not So Easy
I licked
the sticky side of
peace
and placed it on
an envelope
I thought it would be a
simple thing to mail it
to war
Whitey Drives the Freedom Bus Again
let’s all go down to Chechnya
let’s go down to Rome
Caeser’s got the melancholy
the Queen is licking the bone
no need to pack a lunch
or plan for your return
the bus is loaded with explosives
your freedom is marked to burn
yeah, burn with such intensity
gold will be smelted
like a grilled cheese at Denny’s
the rest of your life melted
let’s all march with precision
keep our dissenting voices quiet
head for the back of the bus
text message the world to riot
Mostly Contrast
I had to wait forever at a stoplight today
you had to step over your neighbor’s bleeding body
I paid too much for kalamata olives
you had no fuel to cook your rice
I worry about my son’s grades
your son’s grave is unmarked
I like to frequent blues clubs at night
you can’t go out past ten
I wonder if God hears my prayers
you still think God is great
I write poetry that bites like a rabid pit bull
you are writing about living in an occupied country
I cry when any soldier dies for another man’s lies
so do you
It is Time to Take a Stand
if you are a poet
take a stand for dead soldiers
if you are a soldier
take a stand for your soul
if you are a journalist
take a stand for your conscience
if you are a mother
take a stand for Mother Earth
if you are a father
take a stand for your children
if you are a Christian
take a stand for truth
if you are a Muslim
take a stand for peace
if you are a Republican or Democrat
take a stand for the Constitution
if you are an American
take a stand for liberty
if you work for a clandestine government agency
take a stand for the future
if you are a pimp
take a stand for compassion
if you are a CEO
take a stand for sustainability
if you are a billionaire
take a stand for sharing
if you are a neo-con
take a stand for reality
if you are a Guantanamo prison guard
take a stand for life
if you are a shark
take a stand for the ocean
if you are the sky
take a stand for the clouds
if you are a cry of pain
take a stand for shouts of joy
if you are a crow
take a stand for the straight line
if you are the devil in disguise
take a stand for revelation
Let’s Just Tell It Like It Is
Water-boarders for Christ
Let’s Just Tell It Like It Is
Water-boarders for Christ
Arms Dealers for Jesus
God’s Political Party
The Only Divine Capitalistic Democratic Nation
Bringing Peace and Freedom to the World
One Dead Body at a Time
It’s Beginning to Smell a Lot Like Fascism
It’s beginning to smell a lot like Fascism
Ev'rywhere you go;
Take a look at the armed men, marching once again
With missiles and decimated cities aglow.
It's beginning to smell a lot like Fascism,
cameras in ev'ry store,
But the saddest sight to see is the folly that will be
In the Iraq War.
A pair of jack boots and a sniper that shoots
Is the wish of Condi and George;
Malls with fancy stores where it’s fun to walk
Is the hope of Barbara and Jen;
And Rummy and Dick can hardly wait for fighting to start again.
It's beginning to smell a lot like Fascism
Ev'rywhere you go;
There's a tree in the Green Zone, one in Kabul as well,
The dead kind that doesn't cost any dough.
It's beginning to look a lot like Fascism;
Soon the trials will start,
And the thing that will make the liars sing
is that Constitution thing
which is being torn apart.
Delicacies of War
surely Sun Tzu would take a piece
of polished glass to peer through
in an attempt to see the details of
the intricate web of lies covering
Bush’s eternal gift to the world
war without end war without reason
or perhaps he would astonish
the royal court and rotate the glass
focusing the rays of the sun to burn
through filaments exposing a
one-thousand year old egg
none have the stomach to crack
the shell and the spider has
been crushed in the commotion
which reveals millennium’s stench
Here’s How Effective the War in Iraq Has Been in Fighting Terrorism
attacking Detroit
would have accomplished
as much
Devil's Scrapbook
I am so tired
of pickled
white men
who have never
had to stare down
the barrel of a gun
telling us what
the fuck
about war
about death
about freedom
about sacrifice
delivering meandering
diatribes while
exposing their shaven
pink testicles
like some sacred
amulet
I no longer
believe they can
be rehabilitated
no longer feel
any remorse for
what will be
heaped upon us
all
because we could
not stop them
would not stop
them
failed as
the Romans
as the Greeks
as the Germans did
unable to see
their societies had
become inbred
dysfunctional
comatose
oblivious to
their own disease
eating freshly baked loaves
of bread while
the future rode down
hard upon glorious
cities with
no mind to
stop and check
bank accounts or
political affiliations
or religious penchants
a future with
sharp eyes and
thick odorous breath
bent on
nothing those
societies believed to
be important
nothing but the
necessity of
change
and mutation
and evolution
and entropy
nothing but
the opportunity to
let the sun
rise upon
landscapes riddled
with bodies
decomposing
feeding bacteria
vultures and
the eyes of
dictators
visions for a
devil’s scrapbook
I Got a Melon
a young guy at work read
my war poems and told
me I had style
I must be doing something
wrong as there are
only two reactions
appropriate as far as
I am concerned
this:
I read your shit, man
and it pisses me off
so much I enlisted
to go to Iraq
with no body armor
just to shoot desert
dicks
or this:
I didn’t know we could
still say stuff like that
without getting thrown in
prison like some dissenting
grandmother
style?
style is for those
who can’t write
but still do write
and especially those who
write about death
and call it a
bitter melon
An MBA's Thoughts on the War in Iraq
in corporate America
there are managers who
can't manage due to
inexperience, inability or
stupidity
when the situation gets dire
the classic move is
to throw more
people at the problem
when these people are
sacrificed to the god
of mismanagement
they are blamed for
their inability to
perform
these managers leave a
trail of bodies and
create deadly situations for
the unsuspecting corporate
employees
these types of managers are
called many things
but mostly they are just called
assholes
I Am a Butterfly, I Beat My Wings
you forgot the war when
you wiped your ass
you see no connection of
the double-roll to a
head full of shrapnel
the mangy dog on the
streets of Austin teleports
to Baghdad daily
too bad peace does not
cost three bucks a cup
It Doesn’t Feel Right Unless I’ve Got a Gun
I tried to sneak
up on my friend
the greeter at
the big blue box
he turned around
reminded me he’d
been to Viet Nam
I wondered how
many more men
I can’t sneak up on
who’ve been to war
permanently trained
to hear footsteps
whether in the mind
or real
terminally tense and
ready to fight
to kill
war over
friends buried
wounds healed
screams echoing like a
hyacinth macaw covered in napalm
burning in the jungle
burning in the brain
A New Light on Tyranny
today
buzz bombs are best
known as
the author of
American Romanticism
less well known is
that buzz bombs are
a longtime
historical matter
and won a
Pulitzer Prize for
reporting at the aviary
in the 1980s
buzz bombs
encountered urban
fright at the library
“some of these books
look like Dresden
after the bombings”
buzz bombs recalled
this week
buzz bombs are
a contributing editor
to Vanity Fair
There's a 5-star General in Your Future
there's a white flag
neatly folded in a drawer
madness is redeeming
only if blood is streaming
a hard dick is the divining
rod of what's under the sand
six-thousand dead is
just an appetizer
to pee or not to pee
is the torturer's question
'tis better to have fought and
lost but never admit it
who can make the bombs fall
the candy man can
no atheists in fox holes
only chickenshits in bunkers
daddy's home
let the games begin
there's gold in them thar hills
black gold and a crown
Napalm Dreams of Screaming Fauna
if vietnam didn't have
all those damn
trees
was bare like Iraq
we would have won
over there
just like we are
winning in Iraq
now
Eva Braun Reflects
I remember Adolf’s
ice cubes
worn smooth from
scotch
kept warm between
my legs
mornings
counting bodies of
inferior people
plucking pubic
hairs one
at a time
heil squealed through
clenched teeth
smooth pussy
ready for his
small penis
there was
laughter too
when he
wanted it
anything was
possible
behind that
mustache
on the face
of war
Marching Song from the Time of David
c’mon boys
let’s hit the
Hittites with all
we’ve got
it’s time to
clear the earth
of those who
worship false gods
say a beer
would sound good
right about now
in the sun
but my sword
is stuck in
the chest of
a desert dog
awfully nice
that the enemy
could meet us in
the valley of Megiddo
we can use
the fallen bodies
to patch the
rutted roads
Romance in Afghanistan
when he comes to the door
his eyes are like two suns shining
through his skull
his motions merely balanced
upon the light beams
he is handsome but
even more important
he is dangerous
I cannot resist him
why would I
what he does
he does for me
all that he does
he does for me
I am in his debt
always will be
and for that
I will always love him
even now as he
aims his weapon
between my eyes
I want him to
kill me
again and again
then we can meet
like lovers in some
foreign movie that
has no end but
you cannot stop
thinking about it
O Glorious Fuckness
tie me to a mast
stuff my ears with jalapeños
fill my mind with the sweet
oil of a politicos preaching
toast a soldier for me, man
spread the cost of freedom on
his remains like jam
line my driveway with weeds that
give off the scent of fear
pass me another beer
track down the peckers
who disagree
don’t look far
consider the possibilities
create bullshit zones
where only your bullshit
is tolerated
set a few time bombs
under some stable structures
fuck
fuck like there’s no tomorrow
set up systems and plans
and games and processes
that will ensure there is no
tomorrow
then fuck
fuck like there’s no tomorrow
because there isn’t one
then untie me
pull the peppers from my ears
let me hear
babies crying because the
diaper is wet
not because the mother’s
breast has been blown
into the next room
A Brief, Despicable History of the World
before video games
there were train rides
on the high plains
where buffalo in the
thousands could be shot
at will
before chemical warfare
there was boiling oil poured
from the castle wall
before the gun
was the slingshot
before oil company CEOs
there were feudal lords
before warmongering presidents
were the Caesars
before you came and finally spoke
sheep were bleating when led
to slaughter
all hail the military industrial complex - all hail the broken beaks of birds - all hail the severed whale tongue - all hail the sleeping nukes
in another time in this place
what would we write our children
dear you should be thankful
your life is short
how sweet is that
with villages turned to meringue
rifles fired to warm the bed
god how we tried too shop
the economy into double-digit growth
you have no idea how we tried
to stop the train of lies
if only we had more money
or pulled the plug on the overuse
of sacrifice
maybe we would not have made you
one
The Ten Biggest Lies We Tell Ourselves So We Can Sleep at Night
if we don’t believe the world changed after 9/11 and live in fear
then we will experience disasters worse than 9/11
if we don’t believe the plane that hit the pentagon shrunk to the size
of a bucket before impact
then our patriotism is questionable
if we don’t sacrifice our liberties for freedom
then those who hate us for our freedom will attack us
if I hadn’t lost a leg to that roadside bomb
we wouldn’t be free
if my brother hadn’t died over there
we’d be fighting them over here
if we hadn’t tortured those bastards at Guantanamo
a terrorist would be holding a gun to my head right now
if we hadn’t given the president the singular power to start a war
congress would still be debating the issue
if we hadn’t attacked Iraq
our children would be living under a mushroom cloud
if the troops leave Iraq
we will have failed our mission
if you dissent in any way
it weakens this great country
Apocalyptic Carnival Ride
forms lost in deep
blurring maniacal motion
capturing my gray twilight world
the massive machinery
of the terrifying carnival
open in glee
rolling noir attractions
and midways abandoned
for some time
a sense of late afternoon absence
masked by a
thick dazzling skyline
the graceful arch
that you do for
thrill rides
transitory architectural shapes
honed in
half-hidden photographs
shadowy figures seeking
the adrenaline rush
of disorder
secretive black and white
unrestrained screaming
often celebrated
lurid American amusement
perched on the edge of
a roller coaster’s descent
I Take This War Personal
I didn’t do that with the
Viet Nam war even though
I was carrying a number
that could be called
I was too busy following
wherever my testicles would lead
I never smelled napalm
only where my fingers
had been
never shot gooks
only anything living in
the ditch that day
and that sad deer
but this war is different
not because of 9/11 either
that debacle will
someday shock even patriots
no, this war has a
dark hand around my neck
I’m older
see the end of my life
and I see with so
much high-def clarity
what we are leaving
for our children to sort out
only some of it can’t be
sorted out
only dealt with
one body
one bullet
one scream
at a time
and when I go
I leave a son
who doesn’t carry
a number
only a curse
for which I helped
form the words
Enough to Impress the Angel of Death
he revealed himself to me at church
one sunday
when I absent-mindedly looked down at the floor
he was staring up at me
maybe not staring as
his eyes were stitched closed but
somehow even with eyes
shut he was looking directly
at me
I stared right back in case
there is some obscure rule if the gaze
is broken then you are taken
in that instant
the connection was so
long and intense I
missed the sermon
but memorized every line on
that face like a page of
holy scripture
he wanted to see me
and wanted me to see him
as we share a sick burning
passion for this war but
mark its longevity and
destruction differently
he takes hearts and
limbs for his chthonic collection
and carries the screams
of the dying in a
gold vial
I gouge anti-war poems
from my flesh and whisper
names of the fallen
alone in the dark
Cold Front
you know when you were digging
ditches with your hands
your hands blistered suns
your lips camels with two humps
did you ever imagine
the parade would end in
a bonfire of stupidity
how could you
your eyes torn
from their sockets like
apricots ripe on the tree
bees lapping beads of
sugar at the stem
how could you
laughing your tongue
into your lungs
a sea slug on the
ocean floor
unable to scream through
fathoms and currents
how could you
your mind a
dark cloud
no place to hide from the
rain of soldiers’ bodies
Statistic
there's that drum
I dropped marching
when we came across
the body
limbs everywhere
it was the first one
now when we see one
or several
I just beat it all
the louder
as I lay here
waiting for the medic
I notice the drum beat
gets louder as
they come upon me
in the sand
This Imperial Blonde War Burns Under a Crimson Moon
I am in the hive
standing on lions of stone
seeking guidance from
a twisted olive branch
holding a laughing axe
unable to swing
my arm is frightened
like a dried gourd
my heart beats fast
lips are dead leaves
feet push through
clipped angel wings
a line in the blood-soaked sand
writ by a severed hand
a bee dances
the way to the flower
The Elephant Holds Peace in Its Tusk Like a Goldfish in Your Palm
why does stripping trees of
bark feel so damn good
tasting the rough skin as
the flesh is left to sizzle
and dry in the sun
one hundred miles away
a stream tickles my feet
hold my tail
hold my tail and walk
safely through the brush
if the magazine strikes the dirt
the battle is over
even with ammo nearby
you can’t shoot what
isn’t loaded
so lock and load, pardner
cover my butt
shoot first
no questions
they were long sticks
sharpened at the ends
spears or as nearly spear-like
as we could construct
to mimic Tarzan
the brown dried earth of
the New Mexico desert
transformed in our jungle-vined minds
the pachyderm wants long walks
holds dust-making contests
and water jet shooting parades
but crushes its own heart
in the wrong position for
too long
trumpeting for help as
hyenas snap at thick skin
laughing at dumb elephant jokes
did you hear the one about . . .
I shot my friend
making machine gun sounds
like I heard watching the
TV show, Combat
you’re dead
you know you’re dead
too late
someone threw a grenade
both dead now but
I learned
tomorrow I would
throw a grenade first and
then shoot who survived
Patron Saint of Terror
he uses the polygraph exam
but avoids the truth
passionate panzer dreams are
read on the senate floor
no one can help the coyote
because he does not need
help he needs de-clawed cats
and dogs in miniature
maybe a little underbrush
he loves the pitter-patter
of little feet
I love to tear flesh by
the light of the moon
say the canines
he breeds killers in small towns
while raping downtown
unmanned drones buzz above
man drones abuzz below
where is the campaign to save
the scorpion from the bottom
of the shoe and pesticide
spray and the bristle broom
fear and a look outside the
accepted definition of beauty
doom the curved tail
I see well in the dark
and seek the comfortable shoe
says the exoskeleton
he rolls back the clock
while pointing at the future
waterboard is meant to sound
like a seaside game
even the shark has the decency
to close its eyes when
taking a chunk of flesh
leaving us with a small dignity
as we writhe in pain
twisted face unseen by
the supreme predator
I can be torn from
the jaw and return in a day
says the serrated tooth
The Rain Came Sudden and Hard
two streams of water ran
from the roof
side by side
the empty space between
held autistic wedded bliss
fleas came with the rain
searching for the fear under
a hard-scrabble leash
no one screamed as
the moose fell to gnashing indecision
men fly from the backs of bulls
yet the bulls stand still
someone tips a kosher hat
as the arena goes quiet
waiting for a future discomfort
yes, I am asking for peace
yes, my guns are loaded
yes, I have planned for the worst
yes, I don't understand why
you don't trust me
I Got a Tattoo Today
it's a skull with a name tattooed on
it's forehead
I thought that was pretty cool
a tattoo with a tattoo
that's my friend's name
my friend I grew up with
we enlisted together
called ourselves the
dynamic duo
but it was with two
batman not a
batman and robin
now I can't watch any
of the batman movies
I no longer buy
the war as it's advertised
if you take this bitter
pill it will make it
all better
this new and improved
war we ride like
a unicorn into town
everyone loves and wants
a unicorn
who doesn't see a unicorn
and know they should
lay down their weapons
look at our stuff
look at theirs
obviously we are better
we have better stuff
we know better
we fight better
we believe in a god
that is better
don't even think about
eating that piece of
peace pie
only the full meal deal
of the unbridled insanity
of war can satisfy
your hunger
I don't buy it
not now
not ever
war is a barbeque
a barbeque of people
I had the privilege of
listening to my friend burn
in a bradley
there was no way to get
him out
I had to smell his
roasting flesh
definitely not the type
of advertising to get
people to buy your
patriotic vision of
one-thousand painful ways
to die for no reason
that's why the tattoo on
my back is a man slowly
turning on a spit
over an open flame
that isn't advertising
it's the truth
and the people who see it
can no longer be sold
You Gotta Love War
unless there is a war
how would we know
the true length of our arms
or who has the courage to
carry the water bucket
over that rickety bridge
war reveals like
a good all-purpose cleaner
or a raging brush fire
those boys are lucky
who get the call and
get to see death
face-to-face
they come back with
some damn good jokes
and odd-numbered limbs
war profiteers should be
honored with monuments
or at the very least with
their faces on plastic cups
at McDonald’s
countries that spout wars
bring democracy and freedom
should be given extra points
immediately upon entering
the Olympic Games
mothers that lost sons in war
well, they’re just unlucky as hell
To Stand with the Warrior Poets in Fields of Wheat While Rome Burns
capturing fireflies in mason jars
to lead the blind toward the river
marching in place and chanting
bloody words in a forgotten tongue
shaved heads are common but
so are full beards filled with sparrows
everyone wears their uterus
on their sleeve
a roan horse munches apples
bites the sleeping buskers
laughter greets the boys stumbling
into the hallowed camp
tears fall in silence at the
limbs piled on a wooden cart
a tank approaches and
a centurion on foot
time has stopped or concentrated
into one spot
one giant spot in the road
in the blistering heat
all the wars all the
battles all the soldiers
converge merge meld
fold into one massive army
one massive roiling rolling
terrifying marching hellish sight
hell-bent on destroying the wheat
grinding poets into bread
but they stand unphased
unmoved afraid but unyielding
they are not born they
cannot die
a drop of sunlight on
an open palm
is the seedling
that cannot be vanquished
only felt and in
feeling it is born
the call to peace and end
to war is from the sun
an open fist is the sign
that you are one
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