by Phyllis Wax
Health care for all—
In America ?
Pie in the sky
Some get pecan, pumpkin, coconut cream
Peach, cherry, lemon meringue
Strawberry, blueberry, key lime
A mud pie for others—
Or maybe a cow pie
Pie in the face
If they can’t pay
Eat humble pie, swallow the bile
Die out of sight As American as
Apple pie
Demagogues stir up mobs
To protest change
With rhubarbs and
Raucous tea parties
Know-nothings don’t believe
There can be so many places
Where people live longer
Everyone gets care
Fewer babies die
Get pie-eyed or
Open your mouth for
Sweet Eskimo Pie
To help you forget
You won’t get a slice
Of American pie
Phyllis Wax lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she seeks to understand history and the world. Her poetry has appeared in The New Verse News before, as well as in numerous other on-line and print journals and anthologies.
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