[Newspoetry] screaming piece

[Editor-Within-Chief]

I've got Colin Powell by the lapel
Do you have any idea what you're doing
It's a rhetorical question
There are no right hands for weapons
of mass
destruction

You're an American too, right?
Right?  Answer me, you bastard
Americans don't understand mass destruction
only the destruction of
the nuclear family, as in,
look, little Timmy's head got blown off by a laser-guided missile or
hey, Mom's torso got shredded by a depleted uranium artillery shell or
fuck, my brother's shoulder was shattered by a cluster bomb

This poem is being hung up on, is
not invited to speak on campus is
hate speech is
tasteless

Meanwhile Powell is on his back and papers
from his briefcase are
everywhere
It is that brief time before the men in the black suits descend on me

You are a criminal a murderer
I dare you to kill a person with your own hands for
oil interests for markets for getting re-elected for
appointing judges for passing tax cuts for money for
exploitation for capitalism for slavery
(cf. Belafonte)

Oh, you want to know why,
Mr. Powell, you dare to ask me why?

I'm acting alone, because I am willing to do that
if necessary.  I and my coalition
of the willing

-- 
Joe Futrelle
Editor-within-chief (of yore)
http://www.newspoetry.com/