assault

Here come the guns:
the automatic assault rifles
the semi~automatic pistols
and the fully automatic aftermath
full of corpses
this cadaver has perfect teeth
I turn my head away
to redirect a headache
but the music is roaring
the cops need a hand
from the criminals
again
from whom they seem indistinguishable
outside the theater
there is still more theater
guns bullets bombs missiles
and marching bands
the new president promises promises
hedging all bets
vetted is the word we must look up
and remember
applying for unemployment insurance
the mainstream walks through the double doors
bellowing: have you heard the good news?
I froze in the hot air she was full of
waiting for the machine guns I detected
under her overcoat
another berserker I thought
expecting mayhem pell~mell
and I could only wonder if I would ever make it
to the sequel
*