The Lesser of Two Evils

Trillions upon trillions burned on a funeral pyre, as
The Antichrist army sets fire to the sands of human
Memory; depleted uranium and white phosphorus
Dropped on soil, beast, and air – and dropped again;

Hellfire missiles launched from the desecrated firmament –
The cowardly assassins invisible, hiding behind a blue-
Drenched canopy; habeas corpus tossed onto a dumpster
Like an overused rag, while deans of law schools dine

At expensive restaurants and exchange notes on the
Latest New York Times crossword puzzle; Iraq, Libya,
Yemen and Afghanistan obliterated – each a graveyard
On which vultures gorge on human offal; Ukraine and

Yugoslavia balkanized, whereon brother slew brother
In blind murderous rage; the Martyr delivered over to the
Cult of psychiatry, as college students rant and rave about
Race and gender; American high school graduates that

Walk through countless metal detectors, yet never heard
Of Mark Twain and Ernest Hemingway; Obamacare, a new
Truncheon with which to bankrupt and bludgeon; the pharma-
Ceutical companies – a gang of drug dealers and monstrous

Sociopaths; the downtrodden enslaved once more onto the
Chain gang; the hallowed citadel razed, its grand spires now
Fallen, death throes drowning in the unconsecrated screen,
A sea of bones stretching beyond the fading of the interrealm,

Their whiteness chilling to every spine of weary man – each
Bone a dead star – each star a dream crushed beneath a ruthless
Demonic power; thereon marched the vanquished unto the
Setting sun, as the demons beckon, sweet night come calling

David Penner’s articles on politics and health care have appeared in Dissident Voice, CounterPunch, Global Research, The Saker blog, OffGuardian and KevinMD; while his poetry can be found at Dissident Voice, Mad in America, and redtailedhawk.substack.com. Also a photographer, he is the author of three books of portraiture: Faces of The New Economy, Faces of Manhattan Island, and Manhattan Pairs. He can be reached at 321davidadam@gmail.com. Read other articles by David.