Dan Murphy
American Carnage
(an erasure of the 45th President’s inaugural address, January 20, 2017)
Justice of America
joined in effort
promise Together, we come
we gather we carry
we have been ceremony merely
another power giving it
too long a small cost
The establishment itself celebrated
capital.
celebrate struggling
our land belongs to you
this is
what truly matters
which controls controlled the people
which world is crucial
a nation great safe good rusted out
which leaves of knowledge drugs
lives this American Carnage
We are pain
Their dreams heart home destiny
I take today
oath allegiance to industry armies other countries
One by one millions and millions ripped from
homes the past the future today
Every decision on trade taxes immigration
ravages countrie
making stealing destroying
our jobs.
I will fight
my body and I bring back wealth
welfare back hands
We will buy American goodwill
We will reinforce old terrorism
will eradicate the face of the Earth
the bedrock of politics loyalty each other
open your heart
there is no room
how good and pleasant
America unstoppable
fear we will be
We will be
most importantly we will be God.
Dan Murphy‘s poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Lullwater Review, Blue Collar Review, Panhandler Magazine, Alloy, and the Adirondack Review. He holds an MFA from Boston University and teaches writing and literature at Suffolk University in Boston. He lives just outside Boston with his wife and two daughters and their black Lab, Sammy Adams Murphy.
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