acanthosis nigricans…

my colors have changed
used to be red white and blue
now it’s just dead black

recruitment program…

bodies
piled high
around
the flag pole
shoring up
what’s left
of
a ragged
flag freedom
a flag
wavering
atop
a greed
infesting
staff
of
reason
rotting corpses
of
hope
stacked
to
hold back
the gale
of
self-interest
that grows
stronger
everyday
so
more
bodies
are
carted in
however
more
will be
needed
but
volunteers
are
hard
to find

spotting satan’s smile…

flexing
the muscles
at
the sides
of
his mouth
he demonstrated
an
overt
display
of emotion
and
said
that’s perfectly delicious
how
the flavors
blend
into
one
perfectly harmonized
deadly
poison
of
hate
it’s quite surprising
how
just
the right touch
of
ignorance
when
blended
with personalized fears
and
self-interests
can result
in
a devil’s brew
with
an angelic fragrance
of
patriotism

uncut diamonds…

as bapa dola
stood near
the water’s edge
a student of his
said that
he had heard
in the village
from a war lord
about
the honor
and
glory
of dying
for one’s land
bapa dola
tossed a stone
into the water
and said
fools
see the rings
that move away
as the stone
enters the water
the rings
pull the eyes away
from
the tragedy
of the stone’s death
a stone
that
could have held
a diamond’s beauty
inside

no honor in this….

copyright cwmartin 2011

go ahead
toss another corpse
on the fire
of freedom
but
know that
these fires
are
not
for freedom
but
for greed
or
if you
prefer
the bottom quarterly
profit line
it
really doesn’t matter
you’re so drunk
with patriotism
that
nothing
that i say
will dissuade you
from your
heroic fantasy
march on
march on
my bond market
value
doth
increase