4th of July

fireworks celebrate the 4th of july sky over the gulf of persia
and you're in italy, sleeping off a siesta,

the plane's passengers crossing the channel to their homes
smelling of lebanese meats& spices, the sound of silly children

happy to see their daddy, the spouse's complaint
of the local vicious dog that terrorizes the meter reader

just doing his rounds, and i'm pitching horseshoes
in oklahoma, taking aim and firing with my lower lip

silently chewed in contemplation
throwing my shoe& hoping for a ringer

as the macho burst of fireworks resounds in my mind
&all i felt was disgust, a dust gust of remorse,

dashdashdash dotdotdotting thru all the miles times& warzones,
all i felt from this celebration of isolation was nausea,

mind churning with visions of bloated floating dead
O spangled banner of of amerika who'd guess

you're not an island? surrounded by mental waters, you only lower
your drawbridge to send out armed salesmen

what carrion you produce along the skyways of commerce!
what blisters swelling on your triggers of ignorance,

what vain nationalism with your civil plights
& condom nation of others! and here, what say i of myself?

i too am amerika
i too an isolatoe

but i think and think that my dream has abandoned me
expand the terroritories into hearts of love,

knock out those with too much to give
wrap nature in disposable diapers and talcum consciences

by proclaiming (i am not) me
we swear it don't hurt though the drought burns pink skin

patriots! independence day
fade away like a pipe bomb

like a stomach ache
like comparisons that knot the side& shatter our illusory caskets!





1989 Midland Review #5
Oklahoma State Univ.

Iran Flight 665

"While flying in Iranian airspace over Iran's territorial waters in the Persian Gulf on its usual flight path, it was destroyed by the United States Navy guided missile cruiserUSS Vincennes (CG-49). All 290 onboard including 66 children and 16 crew perished."

& eat shit CIA.