Chapter One
And yes, a new king rose over Egypt
a rabid creature in the shape of a man
without a conscience
a man with small hands
a rubbery pink mouth
that poured lies like oil
emitted hate like carbon dioxide
greedy to devour men, women and children
an abomination
And the spirits of the women rose up,
and on a determined day they marched
in the capital city and many other cities
they marched for kindness
and dignity in this world
they filled the streets and highways
with love and song
they took photographs of each other’s clever signs
they mocked the king
they marched with babies and men of good heart
they rallied
they returned to their homes
but the king was still there—the king still sat
on his throne of money
Chapter Two
—with a nod to “Paradise Lost,” Book II
A stroke of the pen
what good what harm
a stroke of the pen
like a twist of the arm
a stroke of the pen
like a puppy’s turd
a stroke of the pen
many acts of murder
A stroke of the pen
in the war against women
the smirks of the men
are always well-hidden
Except for the man
most powerful on the earth
finger above the button
he smirks and smirks and smirks
A stroke of the pen—
a keyboard tap
in the devil’s den
the devil’s crap.
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Tikkun 2017 Volume 32, Number 3:18-19