REPOSE©
TORNADOES
an elastic band slowly stretching
foolish surprise
but officer, I was not texting
just listening to the radio
no hackers are hiding in cybertown
a virtual fortress
the bears in your backyard are just hungry
that's all
no sane person would start WWIII
gated communities are not immune to drought
but maybe they can afford tankers to fill swimming pools
if those tankers are not beset by highway robbers
looking for fuel
and there is no Ebola epidemic
and social security checks keep on coming
even though the nation is in default
and of course though the Change is not good news
it doesn't grab the headlines it deserves
a predictable miracle
because the truth won't set anyone free
quite the opposite
it seems too dreary
because it is
dull greys, sullen blues
so it's time for a nap
grey hairs agree
the colors are so much better
no question of believability
veracity might be arguable
the judge raps gavel and it all comes down
crows flutter, wings flapping, black plumage
but no one knows who won
in the distance . . . drums talking
people in the street . . .
people in the air . . .
people in cardboard boxes . . .
the president speaks
people watch the image
. . .
PLAIN REALITY
barber pole perched on a dove
swirling stripes hypnotic
a natural curiosity
confuses security cameras
tethered
in their digital sea
I sing bright lightning that visits
searing holy concepts
electrotherapy
scripture to ashes
sutras to Moses' high mountain
ah, this might have been
flowers and snail tracks
how they glisten
APPRECIATION
slavery
some temporary relief in earth's cache of fossil fuel
burden of labor shifted to machines
yet the habit remains
moving from a justification in brute force
it morphs to codependent beliefs
under cover of democracy
from muscles to hearts and minds
do what the boss says
become the boss
go to work for another one
land, money and opportunity
do not come free
shift from one roost to another
it will be scrutinized
winners never quit, quitters never win
how about leaving a losing game?
or trying to change it but got mired?
or arrested?
or overturn the board and demur
oops!
starving is a choice
we are free, after all
isn't a free society better than being imprisoned, chained, and led out to work?
after all, it comes with perks
no beatings for favored classes
food, water, heating, a lawn, a car, a gardener, caviar
city dwellers live further up the hog
looking down from high rise apartments
upon homeless quitters, weakling addicts that infest sewers
why we fought our civil war
y'all!
and certainly our universities
academic freedom
no slaves
except Jefferson had a few
and now The Valley is clogged with graduates who have their cubicles
or corner offices
parceled out by degrees
carefully calibrated and watched
by machines of their own design
and listen raptly to talks on the future of business
which will always fall short of full employment
sort of a cattle prod
but just short of brute force
old age, etc., no way round that
the way in, though, is the way out
go right through to the original source
which can be found anywhere
slavery, sickness, categories and fine thoughts
empty
possession is blindness
an expedient
UNTHOUGHT UTTERANCE
as cars rush by and roads proliferate
and smog checks compete with Lotto for votes
I tend my gardens
it's not the international space station
the odds are better than Lotto
precision measurements were interesting once
hunting for rogue electrons
and the Weber BBQ
purchased in pursuit of the good life
has not rusted away
yard furniture, cushions, beer can chicken
while all along plants, birds, neighbors clouds have waited
patient teachers
and last of all
first of all
this very body with organs and domains
who knew how this would spill out?
it cannot be accidental
nor can I take credit
it certainly is a surprise
with many guises nightly that I face with some trepidation
this persiflage is kin to barreling down a midnight road
then suddenly the headlights
with perhaps a faulty switch
decide to come on after all
so here we hurtle
laughing towards the Change
I enjoy the annoyance
and you, dear reader, might
as cars rush by
MINISTRY OF TRUTH
the Change may precipitate WWIII
perhaps snuff it out
nuclear weapons are a flash in the pan
nuclear winter might extinguish global boiling
for a time
until the Change resumes and wars are no longer affordable
reports of wild weather cannot be suppressed
since weather cannot be hidden
think of the Geico gecko
charming funny green
believe this?
was your pizza delivered in the Arctic Blast, hot and ready?
are reservoirs full?
green felt tables
snake eyes the most fascinating option
for whom or what?
will our overseers do more than new car diplomacy?
do you have one?
it tracks you
might be ready to drive itself
a trumpeted improvement over disgruntled behavior
wrong way driving
and unacceptable insurance payouts
uniweld chassis, crash resistance, hospital avoidance
green smocked assistants who might attend your foreclosure surgery
need not report to the Unemployment Office
until robotic surgery -- but there will be jobs
taking out bed pans
too many old and injured weighting the bottom line
and the national debt
and the Change . . .
