Tapestry

a montage of color
      red, white and blue
a collage of culture
      the finest linen,
the coarsest burlap
      bits of silk,
stars and stripes

three branches of government
      contrast and compliment
shards of denim,
     rags and remnants
crosses, moons, and stars
     politicians, big business
           and people

individual cuts of cloth,
      woven, spun,
bound together
      reluctant heroes
rectified con-artists

a quilt, a liars’ pact
      a magic show,
smoke and mirrors,
      three card Monty
pick a card, any card
     jokers’ always wild.
a primary cause
      legal separation
church and state
     abused and neglected
worn fabric, split seams
     wailing cynicism
alleged rage, open sores 
     tension and stress
          a secondary effect

tear apart the stitching
     rending the design
scarred nihilists
     opulent optimists
two-sided monologues
rambling soliloquies
dialogue diminished,

write and wrong
     black and white
left and right
     evade peace
alter obliquity
     restoration, preservation
           for future generations

an heirloom hemmed up,
      bordered, boxed up
and packed away,
     a relic, a piece
             of Americana