We Interrupt this Program

White House lawn packed
a morning chorus wailing
bent-kneed voices intermix 
televised blaring out the door
The more song the more panic

Tenth city of the sky
all stations listening
every other Earth 
dead as a papery scorpion
The keen-eyed hill girl sees the comet’s tail 

Trees in the garden felled 
golden bowls of rice emptying 
saints, prayers in a book
chant the name you know
create the god you need
scientific platitudes, militias mobilized
The country is slowly melting 

No seats available 
no prophylaxis, no preparation sufficient
iron bars on any kind of kindness
Five months in
people queue for head injury, snakes, the lash 

A rowboat on the vast glassy sea 
under a sky sliced with meteorites
fingers dangling in the cool water 
awaiting oblivion . . .

Other creatures unaware
living up to life