Not enough glue

all the glue on earth
is not enough to hold
your broken heart together

all the brains on earth
are not enough to disprove
what was said

all the tears on earth
can never make
a substitute ocean

so I will cry
and eat this salt
instead of bread
if I must die
tell me where
to find wings
to lift me

if I survive
tell me how to undo
all the things
I said

how many times
must I return
to this cold home

how many times
must I forget
the crime, the sentence
you read

ARMY 1

Look! On the horizon!
The red flags of war!
Sorry — my mistake —
it’s only the sun rising —
not as stirring a sight
as clean cut youth
in clean cut uniforms
marching to slaughter.
No, the sun
only thinks it looks
like puddles of blood
reflected
in puddles of
unimaginative water.

ARMY 2

Let’s play dressup
we will look swell
trying to
march in step.
We will organize regiments
of indestructible killers
to convince everyone
we mean business.
We will get a loan
to buy guns, bombs, and instruments of torture
do what we want
and never explain.
Everyone pull
their belts tighter
tighter
tighter.

ARMY 3

Now that we’ve brushed our teeth
let’s kick them in.

ARMY 4

I need you,
I want you,
I had to have you,
so I drafted you.

ARMY 5

I’m an organizer
and there’s nothing I like better
than organizing;
so start marching,
you’re recruits
in an Army —
an Army of Mine.

We’ll organize the beggars
to dance in the streets
the tin cup of pennies
to keep the beat.
We’ll teach the housewives
to keep everything neat
and arm paramilitary
to turn up the heat.
Shake, Rattle, Battle,
nothing better than a fight
to keep what’s mine
and make everything right.
Like a good fighter
I leave nothing to chance
poke you in the eye
kick you in the pants;
I control the reports
what is said
you probably believe
what you just read —
and that’s a tribute to
ORGANIZATION

Weapons only represent
orders you must follow

NOW
Tighten your belts
tighter
tighter
tighter.

p.s.
Let’s clean machetes, gas cans, hammers
in Rwanda,
in Baghdad,
in Tibet,
in beautiful and historic Myanmar.

One Big Button

One Big Button
gotta get me one
One Big Button
dial up the fun
One Big Button
I’m ready to go
One Big Button
stole it from my stereo

One Big Button
on my phone
One Big Button
take me home

One Big Button
ease my pain
One Big Button
again and again
no need to explain
tell me what to do
One Big Button
I depend on you

One Big Button
Up in the sky
it’s not human
to pass you by
everything I want
anything I see
One Big Button
just a matter of degree

One Big Button
make a better me
One Big Button
replace my history
it all comes down to your
POV

I’ll choose you
tell me what to do
One Big Button
I’ll do you if you do me

Get a Job

The knife stands by
so easy to deploy
you have a choice
misery — or comply
don’t ask your friends
what they think
the answer is made
before you blink

do not tell me
you want to cry
and do not
ask me why
the knife is easy
and reason so displeasing

quick tell me
the reason
why you should be
employed

180 bags of clothes

Old woman died
left a 180 bags of clothes
oh yeah, dontcha wanta know
whose clothes are those?
someone who paid through the nose
someone who went without clothes
endless spools of thread
dyed red
who owns them now
do you suppose

Monkey on the Chain

I am the monkey
on the chain
the organ
the grinder
I dance

grotesque parody
of my drive
to please
and
do what
pleases

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