all awards are to be left near the pedestal
for example:
a pair of burnt and offered shoes
smelling better than her raven meat
the assembled crowd will chant
all the year's newest slogans
an honest revival unprayed for
they advertise anything for free
for example
I am a model turned actress
turned pop star
ready to invent the best
source of renewable energy
suitable for all ages
and unbelievably clean
we will be lead forward
avoiding messy destruction
into the second universe of many
congress gathers into a ball at your feet
so you vote for another sunny day
or the happy meal prize seventeen years gone
or kiss that salamander as you would a high school sweetheart
and regret that last divorce
swearing it'll never happen again
except for the child you love
you groan at the last display and turn off the widescreen
wondering which way leads to the bedroom
wondering how old she is
how many hours you can sleep in the gray apartment
on the street with the forgotten name
you catch the weather before dozing off like a man your father's age
outside the clouds change to shapes with immaculate titles
you close the telephone book with one hand
and watch another piece of clothing break on the linoleum
you catch her looking back
wondering why you don't leave
she looks like one you've seen before
Leaving this remark,
useless mark
expecting more but again seeing faces burned
to importance and returned on platters uncooked.
The Samaritan was good enough
for ploughing then he died.
Other stories can be told but why?
We're watching television at eleven.
The news is leaking every point we need to know
local sports and weather slip from the tongues
of unattractive mouths with commercials between
for food every face needs to eat.
