abject poverty here in the US of A
Lou Dobbs got it right
almighty leaders of both political parties
pocketing pork profits following orders
vote for this i’ll give you that
pennies for the pauper oil for the guzzlers
tax payers hard earned cash milked to
feed the Golden Calves
Pat Robertson mines diamonds
looping holes of exemptions
Bush failures receive medals
whistleblowers receive axes
give the people soma
pills to sleep by
pills to energize
pills to maintain the status quo
zombies medicated to feel nothing
no sorrow, no pain, no joy
what now Miss America, Mr. Mrs. Ms.
our giant toilet bowl won’t flush
the cards are laid on the table
exposed to the eyes of the world
the great cities of Astrodomes
pass laws against panhandlers
on their shining streets of Gold
pass laws against bankruptcy
pass laws limiting Almighty Corporation’s liability
appoint judges to roll back
women’s rights to choose
Federalists Borks jump for Jesus
and right here in Silver City
lock steppers key a bumper sticker reading
“Who would Jesus bomb?”
There is no Giant Toilet King
no pie in the sky to feed the poor
disposable income is not in their vocabulary
blame is not a game it is a fact
America is the beautiful or it is the ugly
our eyes have seen the gory
of the poverty ignored
will we plant roses where misery has grown
gaited communities will not save the privileged
walls between countries will not give security
to peoples who require slaves to survive
slaves to create wealth for the idle rich
he waits, the poet writes,
for the return of the roses.