by J.S. O'Keefe
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| President Trump has revealed plans to make his proposed 250-foot arch in Washington, D.C. serve as a "military complex", including areas for military snipers and large amounts of weaponry. Trump added that the arch near the National Mall will "house, store, and have the rapid ability to use large numbers of drones, plus Snipers, on both the roof and plaza areas, and additionally have and hold large quantities of sniper ammunition in storage." —PBS, September 20, 2026 |
The syntax of slaughter,
lubricated, rolled upon the palate,
tasted of rust and stale brine
before it slipped into law.
We've brought fresh geometry of iron
for the square,
where pigeons, fed on scraps of news,
fall stunned on the pavement,
necks broken by war noise.
Whose coin is this,
pressed hot into our palms
and called a gift?
Coughing rattles the tenement at dawn.
The triumphal arch stands upright and blind,
watching the river carry tired oil out to sea.
Someday,
another tide will come back in.
J.S. O’Keefe is a writer and trilingual translator. He has published short stories, poems and creative essays in print and online journals, including Roi Faineant, Antipodean SF, Dissident Voice, Everyday Fiction, Spillwords, 50WS, and Satire.