Herbert Abelson
Conflagration
Washington is burning
indignation flames as
history and nuance
flash in the heat of madness
It burned before, the Brits
torched it—Madison fled for a day
saved by a thunderstorm or hurricane
always simmering since
Feel the current burn
takes your breath away
stomach cramps, cough
Smoke gets in your eyes
Comey’s testimony today
will light a fire under any
and all—he made detailed notes because
he believed the POTUS might lie—incredible
Burn baby burn
Public School Education sucks says Betsy
Coal is good for the climate and you chimes Scott
Taxes are not for the rich snits Mnuchin
Laws are fungible fumes Jeff
(This is your brain on drugs
white versus brown eggs
who will be charged—don’t mess with Jeff
or look to the East)
Health Care and Tom’s stocks are a match
Courts are trash heaps says POTUS
Burning crosses for Steve
Housing is expendable; Ben says burn the bad stuff
Energy still okay since Rick can’t recall the burn
So let’s burn books
science is a hoax
climate change only interests those
without private jets
barn burning okay if you
burn candles at both ends
with comments flaming and
hair on fire
it fans the flames
of a funeral pyre
fostering malcontent with lies
blazing a trail of ashes to the ultimate
Fire and ICE
Herbert Abelson’s poems have appeared in Silkworm, The Pharos, and the Senior Bulletin of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He is a retired academic physician widely published in the scientific literature.
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