Two political poems by rob plath

Two political poems
by rob plath


america is an evil magician

america
is an
evil magician
w/an enormous
stage
full of
illusions:

the law
god
democracy
statue of liberty
old glory
freedom
human rights
televison

& if you don't
get fooled
by any of 'em

america's
has
its
encores:

the madhouse
&
the big house

++++++++++++++++++++

the dead

the dead wash & wax the surface
of their cars year round

the dead alphabetize the canned goods
in their cupboards

the dead polish their toilets
like silver platters

the dead iron their socks & tightly fold
their underwear like flags at funerals
for fallen soldiers

the dead bend over & pick the lint
from the carpet's braids

the dead get their blood pressure checked
every 6 months

the dead walk the third planet from the sun
wearing neckties & carrying mirrors

the dead open their mouths & run mint
dental string between their bones

the dead measure out 3 ounces of wine per day
to ward off cardiac arrest

the dead carefully steer with two hands
gripping the wheel at 3:00 & 9:00

the dead screw false teeth into their jaws
& glue hair to their skull

the dead feel hospitality at banks

the dead badly sing hymns & shake each other's
bacterial gelled hands in church

the dead windex their television screens
to see sitcoms more clearly


Author bio:

Rob Plath is a 37 year-old poet from New York. He's published well over a 200 poems in over 70 magazines and journals. He has one book called "ashtrays and bulls" (Liquid Paper Press--home of the Nerve Cowboy) and five forthcoming this year: "tapping ashes in the dark" (Lummox Press), "sour milk for the soulless" (Cat Scan Press), "my soul is a broken down valise" (Pooka Press), "hooked to an iv bag filled with bile" (Scintillating Publications), and "whiskey and clay" (Pudding House Publications). He is currently the poetry editor of JD Finch's print magazine "the whirligig" and also editor of Henry Chalise's webzine called "neo lampshadian outpost." Back in '95 -'97, he was tutored by Allen Ginsberg at Brooklyn College and later in 2002, he performed on a spoken word/music cd with world famous musician, David Amram.