We pledge allegiance to the gun

the flag cradled in our arms

When peace… is shattered into pieces,

and the shards are but more rubble on the street,

light your lamps

the ghosts of history,

marbleized pale white faces

on top of a horse,

911

The number that one student called five times, pleading for help,

while nineteen officers remained just outside her classroom in the safety of the hallway

We gather up our soldiers

When the price of nectar’s high

When the masses start to mumble

When it’s time for more to die

A black stormtrooper 

has got me all stressed

Somebody help me,

I’m being oppressed!

America bursts out of our

elementary school books 

with glorious fanfare, fife and drum,

flag waving in the air,

No thoughts, no prayers

For the racist homophobe

Dying by the gun

We’ve demonized immigrants,

locked children in crates,

and I was just wondering,

now are we great?

if you are pro-war,

pro-death penalty,

and anti-gun control 

then you’ll need a new title

When we tell people 

nothing can change,

we are ignoring history

Dirt from the grave

graces their otherwise

distinguished appearance

Essential, we called you, as you placed our packages near our tightly closed back door

America,

land of the free,

home of the incarcerated

The waves appeared

deceptively calm

when the iceberg hit

She was beaten by masters

While he held a whip

You can dress it up in whatever phrasing helps you sleep at night and pray on Sunday

Kill your enemies before they kill you

Odd, I was certain it was love

I hate to give up on family,

I remember how much

fun we all had

learning to spell your name

Maybe the couch was too comfy

and God was binge-watching Cheers reruns

during the eight years of Obama