the brown bag prophet
said
i’ve been reading
the upanishads
and
if that part
about
having
to come back
until you find
enlightenment
is true
we’re gonna
be stuck
with a number
politicians
for
a very long
time
as i walked up
the steps
to aunt bea’s
i heard
her
gasping
and
saying
oh
my
goodness
i hurried in
and
found her
staring
at the tv
she said
she’d been watching
this sci-fi movie
where
a woman
had given birth
to a creature
that wreak havoc
on her
and
every
helpless soul
in her world
even though
she’d
given it
the gift
of life
aunt bea
said
kind of
reminded me
of
our
elected
officials
the brown bag prophet
was sitting
at a city park table
when i finished
my morning bike ride
he was writing
and had
an unusually intense look
about him
i asked
what are you writing
a letter
to the president
and
the rest of
the nra staff
in the congress
asking them
to provide
the school children
and
teachers
here in the city
with some of
the same body armor
they plan
on sending
the syrian rebels
cuz’
these streets
are a battlefield
of an undeclared war
ignored by
salaried politicians
who swore on
the holy book
to care
for the victims
of society’s dictators
this here’s
guerrilla warfare
where drug lords
and
corporate reps
rule the streets
these kids
should be given
the same
protection
offered to non-residents
of this
fair
land of ours
a small token
of hope
to fend off
the bullets
paid for by
political
kiss ass
digital decoupage cwmartin
i was
quite surprised
to find
the brown bag prophet
dressed in his
finest
just outside city hall
with a sign
that read
vote for me
with
a donation bucket
resembling those
seen at christmas time
outside most
large department stores
though
i was running late
for traffic court
i had
to inquire
why
he was there
he smiled
and
said
if a corporation
or
a well-heeled citizen
wants
to sway decisions
in their favor
and decides to
grease the skids
with cash
for someone
who is not
running for
political office
it’s called
a bribe
but
if they’re
running for political office
and
can carry out
the same agenda
for their
real
constituency
it’s called
a donation
so
you see
i’m just here
trying to ease
the conscious
of folks
i was telling
aunt bea
that
in
some countries
prostitution
has been
legalized
and
that
according
to a history
program
i saw
the church
was once involved
in the business
for
quite
some time
aunt bea
looked
at me
like
i was
some kind
of fool
and
said
child
we’ve had
legalized prostitutes
in this country
for years
but
we call them
politicians
aunt bea said
the only way
i’m ever going
to become
rich
is to become
a politician
i shall solicit donations
for my campaign
which
will afford
me the ability
to have
a new wardrobe
home
and
other amenities
once elected
i will serve
so-to-speak
on committees
that concern public projects
or
land developement
and will then
legally
through my own laws
invest or divest
in the appropriate
stocks
prior to
the general public
since
they won’t know
what i know
and thereby
become rich
at their expense
and
at some point
retire
with full benefits
and salary
paid for by
the public
and
become
a lobbyist
so that
i can
buy that
private island
i’ve always
wanted
marching side-by-side
proclaiming their shared values
feeding off our dead
copyright cwmartin 2012
aunt bea
was reading
the paper
when i stopped by
for a visit
she noted that
there had been
a number of
indictments
of
political leaders
for fraud
and
failure
to serve
the public need
most
of these indictments
she said
were unfounded
in her opinion
since
the word
indictment
suggest
the person
may
be
innocent
Read Between the Minds 