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Wednesday, March 02, 2011

The Saints Just Cried


Performing my prose about the reactions to the World Trade Center towers disaster from my Baldheaded Poetry series.

by James Jarvis

12/06/01


On the eleventh day

mad dog killers

flew airplanes
into the World Trade Center towers


and the rich saw it

and saw that it was good

and they screamed

"Pay our debts! Pay our debts!"

and we all chipped in

and paid their debts.


And the rich saw the money

and saw that it was good,

so they laid off legions upon legions

of their employees

so they wouldn't have to share.


And the pure in heart said,

"Help the victims! Help the victims!"

and we all chipped in

and sent the money to charities

and the charities saw the money

and saw that it was good

and collected pennies from school children

and ran television ads asking for more

and cried copiously

and collected the money

and rent their clothes

and poured ashes on their heads

and promised to do good.


And the charities became rich

and saw that it was good

and said, "This is OUR money now,

the victims are trying to cheat us

out of OUR money!

We might give them SOMETHING,

but you can't expect us

to give it ALL away!"


And the people,

horrorfied by the carnage, cried,

"What can we do? What can we do?"

and the rich saw it

and saw that public sentiment was good

and the rich answered the cries,

"Save the rich! Buy our products!

Save the rich! Buy our products!

Show yourself a patriot:

Buy more stuff!"


And the politicians,

fearful that the people might find out

that THEIR bungling

had aided and abetted the enemy,

pointed to the east

and cried,

"Kill them! Kill them!"

and the killing began

and the politicians saw that it was good

and gave themselves a raise

when no one was looking

anywhere but east.


And the rich cried "Hallelujah!"

And the charities cried "Hallelujah!"

And the politicians cried "Hallelujah!"

And the people cried "Hallelujah!

And the saints just cried.

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