He’s come back 21st siecle to demand
sacrifice from bears, wolves, elephants.
Abdomen fat and tan-orange,
creature slits for eyes. Picture sticky legs
gesticulating against the will
of the electorate. Still, followers
comb and braid degolas tentacles,
feign smiles for Easter’s children
who come to a massive lawn
littered with the remains of what once
was an emblem of democracy—
The White House. Whether or not
you choose to believe an old story,
two sycophantic elephants
pose right before your face, knotted
tails not hiding obscenely
tinier balls. Have we forgotten how
this drama ends? Emily Dickinson's
twice forfeited sparrow wades away
in… the deepest sky. Nature’s empty plate.
Judith Skillman’s recent collection of poetry is Oppression, Shanti Arts. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Alabama Literary Review, Commonweal, North American Review, and other literary journals. She has received funding from The Academy of American Poets and Artist Trust.
