Around The World

We all thought that
it was a shame the way
they found him
his ego straight-up, drunk,
and shrunken.
Saddam had first toppled
down like an ancient Sphinx
settling in the dust,
they had pulled down his
statue
and on T.V. the mad media
pumped another horror scene.
They told me what I already
knew,
that men in high places will
sometimes cry wolf
bent on shaking up the world,
they are dangerous.
I wasn't sure if I was going
to listen to those
philosophizing their politics
ever again,
Saddam could have been the
last man on earth
to circle the sun with
intrepidations
needled with notorious history
begging off the act of
not communicating,
but I doubt it.
It's nice to believe, though.

Now they say that country is on
the mend somewhere out on a desert.
I remember how the plight
of malnutrition was so compelling
and giving us the image of
friendly,
sympathetic to indigent spaces,
peacefully feeding mouthes.

It is like eating hemlock,
reading the newspapers.

Tell me what I already know.
Can you console the public for
me, at dead soldiers?
Or, do you bolt at the sound of
horses hooves?
I can laugh at my intimidations.
No-one cares about an old lady
who had a peace symbol around
her neck,
that gawdy thing.
Keep your pink socks on, and
don't look left or right.
Imagine!
Me crying "Evil!" at you.
When I see it all,
I watch the weather channel,
for some sunny day.