We held these truths

At last night's reading, in honor of Election Day, the poet rolled out this new piece...


We held these truths

We held these truths to be self-evident
Then why do we need to have them
Stuffed down our throats by well-heeled
Millionaires
Looking for a little more power
To run their thunder machines

It took a General to warn us
About the danger of money and guns
Getting into bed
And now the weekend warriors
Export violence by the ammo belt
And thank God for the death penalty

We held these truths to be self-evident
But we have gone blind and deaf
Straining at gnats as we swallow Camels
And give subsidies to tobacco farmers
We banned from ballgames so Coors
Could sell us blonde ambitions

Jesus never bombed an abortion clinic
And Jefferson never wrote about the right
To arm barely upright hominids
With weapons of mass destruction
Hussein could’ve bought at any gunshow
Or pawn shop with the right paperwork.

We held these truths to be self-evident
So why do I even have to mention them
I think I better shut up before someone
Remembers the pen is mightier than the sword
And takes a pre-emptive strike to the room
While wrapped in a flag he bought, made in China.


William F. DeVault. all rights reserved.