You Are Important

Even after seven revolutions in eight years,

There's barely been sufficient corruption

To deem it a legitimate government,

Let alone a President's Day Mattress Sale.

I transferred from state-sponsored media

To media-sponsored state.

But the jury is still out,

And they're never coming back,

 

Our flag is always in the top five of

Favorite flags of the world,

Although the silhouetted mountain was

Long ago eviscerated by ore--, mineral--,

And precious metal--sucking technology,

And rises now, a reeking, smoldering

Garbage dump infested by all manner of mattress,

Box spring, syringe and hazmat bag.

 

"You Are Important. Your Vote Counts."

The Registrar of Voters says so.

Being important means more to me than

Whether my vote counts.

Being important is the next best thing

To being famous, and

Being famous is the most important thing in the world,

Vote or no vote, flag or no flag, jury or no jury.

 

Election Day and the Day of the Dead coincide:

Sugar skulls everywhere.

Never seen a corpse do handstands before?

Just a bunch of over-idealistic rich kids.

There's no need to appeal to the international community,

No need for human rights watchdogs to fly in

As part of an election monitoring mechanism.

We'll keep the bar open until a winner has been declared.

 

(from "Born to Lens" (2007) by Randy Stark)