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Saturday, May 16, 2026

NO KINGS

by Joan Gerstein




I painted two-foot high NO KINGS

in bold block letters on my blue fence

Month’s later   it remains unmolested

Month’s later   gas is $6.00 a gallon

Month’s later   Trump doesn’t know how to end wars he started

Month’s later   Trump rants senile threats and insults

On a busy street   my fence remains unmarred

Month’s later   Trump insults the Pope 

Month’s later   Trump posts a picture of himself as Jesus

Month’s later   Trump controls the Supreme Court 

In this Marine Corps city no one defaces my fence

Month’s later   Trump defies lower courts 

Month’s later   Trump strong-arms Republican lawmakers

Month’s later   Trump empties our treasury 

Month’s later   Trump demands effigies of himself on everything

and enriches his personal wealth through corruption  greed   lying

No one disfigures my fence in this conservative-leaning metropolis

because my message is meh     NO KINGS

I wish I had the guts to write     Dethrone the evil   vile   *$#)V&!



Joan Gerstein, a retired educator and therapist, teaches creative writing to incarcerated veterans. And, yes, at 78 she was up and down the ladder.