They Feed They Death

 

After Philip Levine’s “They Feed They Lion”

Out of fast nation, out of fast mouth, fast food,

Out of bearing arms, selling arms, and trading guns,

Out of the selling short, buying low, selling out,

Out of lay-offs, Enrons, CEO salaries,

They weakness grow.

               Out of rockets’ red glare

Of bombs blasting, out of acid rain, out of SUVs,

Red State to Blue State, out of worried aunties,

Mothers protesting their sons’ stumps, out of leg stumps,

Out of politicians’ plans and voters’ apathy,

They weakness grow.

               Earth is melting, glaciers covering

Seashores, earth is changing her atmosphere, calling

“Look out, Look out!”  From dying polar bears,

From the ferocity of bear driven to skeleton,

From the furred ear and the full belly come

The repose of the isolated cub, from the deaths

They weakness grow.                                                                                                    

               From the bright dyes of the factories

Come the bright glow of cancer, from the smoke fumes

Of the stacks the spread of disease,

From “Cough Up” come “Lie Down,”

Come they Death from greedy stockholders,

The strong arm that pulls the bell,

They weakness grow.

               From my stripes and all my stars,

From no Western sins forgiven, they feed,

From my SUV passing another SUV in the night,

They Death, from my embassies inherit,

From the Vietnam Memorial Wall, they Death,

From they bomb and they bloody remains

And all left burning on the oil-stained earth

They feed they Death and it comes.