Living in the war zone

1) Masked Media

I am in no mood for conversation
as I have rented space
in the caldrons of my mind
to exiled garden gnomes armed
to the beards of their chinny-chin-chins
with pixie dust and fairy spells.

They warn me of the climate change
within this country, the strong winds
and cross currents, tidal surges
and crashing waves, a dangerous rip tide
and a strong undertow.

Besieged by random thoughts
and scattered ideas,
I’m looking for a bubble to crawl inside
and get away from the real world.
It has to be bomb and bullet proof.

Do you know where I can find one?

2) False Profits

Can't you hear it?

Barking barkeeps shout
"Last call!" as ice cubes caress
those drunk with power.
While bulls, bears and the beast
recite an ode to the holy bar code
appeased by bluesy bongos

and the ticker ticks on . . .

The perfect storm is upon us,
it's time to take to the streets,
head to the beaches,
make a stand in grassy fields,
light the flares, raise the red flags
sound the alarms.

Explosions go off in Boston,
children slaughtered in Connecticut
movie goers gunned down in Colorado
the Oklahoma City Bombing,  
the Columbine School Shooting,
and the Virginia Tech massacre
add to growing list chalked up
and stored in the unread sausage files
of war games played in America.

Ahh, America
I shed my tears for thee
dark land of murder spree
where it is harder to buy cold tablets
in a drug store, than it is to buy a gun
in a pawn shop.

But the Senate votes down
background checks
for gun ownership
or any sensible regulation
of ammunition, pistols and assault rifles
so as not to infringe on the rights
of criminals and terrorists to bear arms.

And
I realize lady liberty doesn't smile
or show emotion.
She just stands there
with her patent ice princess cold stare,
bound and tied to corporate interests
the slave of big business.

I want to whisper in her ear
"If I could, I’d uncut you . . ."

3) Stage Five

Reviving the American Dream
is a leap of faith
based on fallacious logic 
of frivolous anecdotal rhetoric
and silly jizem spouted
and preached by pundits
and politicians
playing with themselves.

Followers like the devotees
of Krishna chant and sing
"Don't stop believing . . . "
but don't realize 
as Tony Soprano said
the song ends
and everything goes
                                     black.