Vol 1 No 1 2007
Patriot Acts
The angel wouldn’t make love for just anything,
And so Muhammad Wong continued:
“I have tried many ways to rid the world of wars—
Killed a cat and buried it in a black stocking;
Stole a piece of steak and buried it where three roads cross;
Put a mango back together from its peelings
And gave it to a pig; rubbed myself with a smooth
Stone and hid it in the Great Wall of China;
Painted a rooster’s comb with molasses and tied
A knot in the hair where it couldn’t be seen….”
But the angel said she wasn’t impressed with the list
As a poetic form. Muhammad Wong said,
“But aren’t you surprised at all the tears I’ve gathered
Over the years?” The angel said, “You can’t treat
Objects like women and expect to get away with it.”
Muhammad Wong realized his error, which isn’t
To say that he had an epiphany. He just didn’t feel
Right about entering the cloudy kingdom on a lark.
Mark Yakich