With Back to the Wall

For all its breathtaking beauty, 
Our country has many flaws, 
Some of them deadly— 

The more we speak of them, 
The better we’ll face 
The stark muzzle 

Of deadening reality. 

Laughter Is The Best Medicine

Gagged inside 
A dumb gentle beast 
Lies another like 
Beast inside 
Another like one, 
And so on, myriads 

Not wanting
To break out 
Of the barrier 
Of muteness
That's muzzled them;
Therein lies 

The key to the puzzle 
As to why these silent,
Docile creatures need
Nothing but guffawing
Clownish despots
To entertain them. 

Bus Stop: Spring Is Icumen In

Oh, devilish joy frenetic! 

There where one hum- 
Drum bus comes 
And pulls out one 
After the other, now 

Alighting on a wire above 
An oblivious queue, two birdies 
Making mad whoopee looking 
Like a goddamn double-decker one!

Anamnesis

Coming up for air— 
Lungs foundering 

On the bottom, fishing 
For whatever’s still 

Down there. 

American-Style Hide-And-Seek

Ready or not, once 
The countdown starts, 
We’ll have plenty 
To say after “it” finishes, 

When we find we've nowhere
To hide any longer,
And a home base
Crawling with finks.