by Christine Panas
On television, Tiresias said
Domino Effect!
The generals checked their calendars
flipped a coin
The chorus of frogs croaked
Beware, the helicopters!
The chorus of old men grunted
That one is too fond of sacrifice
Tiresias repeated
The Domino Effect, you fools!
His pet alligator clapped its jaws
gnawed at its polished nails
Fats Domino sued for slander
The case was dismissed
It was a rumpling moment
Tiresias declared
No worry! We have the Jolly Green Giant!
Armies of sprouts!
When the helicopters did arrive
the Cyclops had eaten
all the young sprouts
All 50 thousand!
Tiresias disappeared
(He had to)
The chorus of frogs cried out
We told you so!
The Chorus of old men griped
This script will never work
Ten years of:
Finger pointing
Video Tape
Bickering generals
Not one domino was found
A generation of new sprouts
greened the fields
Tiresias returned
to television
Resurrected by a PR firm
stylish suits and watches
Blood sacrifice
back in fashion again
His pet peacock fanned, preciously
preened, pecked at
cobs of rolled up paper
Tiresias said
Axis of evil!
The dominos responded by
falling into place
He explained
I was at Troy,
On the Dardanelles; it was
Protracted, but you know
No one thanked me
Chorus of Frogs & Old men
We gotta get a new Prophet!
Christine Panas curates & often hosts "The Biscuit Readings Spoken Word Series" at Biscuit BBQ in Park Slope Brooklyn (the Brooklyn sibling of Cornelia Street Cafe). A former academic trained in the archaeology of Greece and Rome, she now pursues poetry and short fiction.
