Poem: Collapse

 

Collapse

 

we held onto

the jabberwocky

in the center of it all

 

but the center

had its own desires,

didn’t want to be our holdfast,

 

wasn’t there to whirl

with a feeding-frenzy

of absolution.

 

there were all these silk ties

around powerful, smug necks,

the yank of compliance,

 

the intoxication of the doctrine

aided by the garrote of caution and

reason--

 

so that going down meant down is up,

our cherished motto,

the loyal, steady bray

 

until death decided for us

that none of our fear-throated policies

made any sense.

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