Poly Ticks

Ama•zon
Clothe me, Colombia
Lush Greens against the green go

I am that Amazon Warrior
That Shake Spear dust

I exile rust
From Minds, from Ears, from Hearts

Pierced with darts of Love
This Cupid of Color
Commands Compassion
Without Ration

Armored with Amor
I will give you more
Than

supply and demand
aluminum cans
celebrity fans
fully-equipped vans
expensive brands
grasping hands
slipping sands

With bared skin I will win

You

From greed
From gluttony
From US


Old Glory
Stars stuttering like teeth
Against the red lines of defeat
Gums gored at the bits of blue
Foaming white at the mouth.

What is our fight now?
Decaying green
Black turmoil
Defiling distant soil

Where are our mouths?
South of ourselves
And what was before
Is no more

Gone that long battle
For Goodness and Truth
Now a yell-low
Now a silent mouth.


Election Elegy (November 2, 2004)
the Heartland is red tonight.

boxes breaking with the weight of Right—
to bear harms, to speak meekly.

the Heartland is red tonight.

Republican red.
Iraqi dead.
Soldiers bled.
Conscience fled.

the Heartland is red tonight.

O Country cry for thee!
sweet land of misery—
You bring—

Life? Liberty?
No. Just ice for all
to
Numb this pall
and
Deafen the call

to free doom.


But I say to you
I rack a piece of US
for some peace

Between the Irakeys and the Soul-die-rs
Who open each other
with blood

A burning bush war locks the world
Consuming love with
Consuming Demoncracy

Everything is falling into the Gorge
of glut-ton-y and se-pare-hate-shun

No more idols
Read the Bible
Thou Shalt Not


Mother Noose
Round and round the Marlboro bush,
The money chase the diesel.
The man—he thought it was all in good fun,
Up! Goes the weasel.

Ring around the row-sy
A pocket full of POW-sy
Bashes! Lashes!
We all fall down!

The weasels are in the meadows
Eating better cups.
Cash is! Ashes!
We all shut up!


American Idle
Conspicuous Consumers
Entertained by Rumors

of

Celebrity
Vanity
Notoriety
Infamy

TV On:
Culture Bomb.

Off goes Conscience.
Off goes Care.

As We Stare:

Corruption Syndicated.
Violence Vindicated.
Indifference Placated.
Sex Saturated.

Petrified Potatoes
On the Couch

of

Oblivion.


American’t
Well-to-do, Well to do—
O too few!

Blocks of Billboards and Stores—
Of Give Me Mores! Give Me Mores!

I am free—
To Buy

And Sell the sky
And love a Lie
And worship “My—
Stuff!”

And never ask Why
People Die while

I eat my American Pie—
Cherry—Red like the Blood
I do not Spy
Cause I turn both Eyes

Against my brothers’ and sisters’ cheeks!

Against their cries!

Because I Can’t