Patriot Two-Step

Elevated like saints we trip
lightly above blighted Earth.

The soles of our inflated
jogging shoes are clean.

But the soul of our collective
blemish of mind treads heavily

among dogmas, creeds, strip mines,
nuclear desire and death wish—

children’s bones in mine fields,

and our many armies’ detritus of flags.

Richard Fenton Sederstrom was raised and lives in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and the North Woods of Minnesota. Sederstrom is the author of seven books of poetry, his newest book, Icarus Rising, Misadventures in Ascension, published by Jackpine Writers' Bloc, was released last winter. Read other articles by Richard Fenton.