Key West The Newspaper

by Kalo Clarke…….

I contemplate Pee-wee’s face
and words framed
on my wall: Don’t Hate
I’m pretty sure for this
occasion he would caveat
but scrutinize

Adding my own flowing song
to the flexible body America
I go to Yoga class 11-12:30
leaving my TV tuned
to the Weather Channel
to tell Nielsen the whole

damned world isn’t watching
the raising of the right hand
the 35 I-do-solemnly-swear words
impossible images of prez #45
with Abe Lincoln’s Bible

I grumble at Pee-wee about
ominous imperatives:
Lock up crooked Hilary
Make Mexico pay
Silence the scum media
Blacklist Muslims and Gays
Drain the swamp

All extol the Tang-Tufted
Savior of Forgotten Men

Enacting Obama’s counsel
to combat hopelessness
get up and do something
women of the world
march the day-after
a deluge of flags and signs
and pinkpussy hats with ears

Millions around the world
counter the newly instituted
trumpery-fuckery with cardboard
foamcore body paint
with voices and arms and legs:

Make America Think Again
U Tweet/We March
Bend Toward Justice
Refugees Welcome
You Can’t Comb Over Sexism

All People Are Equal Members
Of Our One Human Family

Already social media aficionados
points fingers at dot gov
for disappearing key words
climate change civil rights
the Judicial Branch and other
jewels of the Constitution

Usually I find the peculiar
say tree-climbing goats
swimming pigs or altruistic monkeys
delightfully compelling but
a cocky controlling con-artist
white male supremacist bigot
in the White House does 180°

Yet there’s Pee-wee’s true truth
that hate must find no hearts
instructing us to see now’s POTUS
as one of our own human family

Forgive me Pee-wee
much easier said than done