Poetry of Issue #7        Page 52

Riffs

A bit of God in every word
and every god a bit absurd
                  And have you heard?

Rivers are rising, jobs are downsizing
buildings are falling, politicians stonewalling

                  God it’s appalling

the forests are burning and
everyone’s yearning to fly like a bird,

to fly fly away.

And what did I say?

A bit of God in every word
and every god a bit absurd

And hear’s a query,
dearie,
are you being fickle
with the Trickle Down Theory?

If he’s got a precondition
call an inquisition.
Where’s the damn mortician?

                  Can’t you do the damn addition?
                  Two plus two is five or six
                  Watch the card sharp do his tricks

Children suffering malnutrition?
Praise the lord but pass the ammunition.

                                    The eulogy is coming, coming from the past
                                    The eulogy is coming, and it’s coming fast
                                                      coming down the pipeline
                                                           like a sonic blast

The eulogy is coming, coming from below
The eulogy is coming, you can feel the undertow

just tugging through the river to the gulf of Mexico

                             The eulogy is coming like a cougar in the night
                             tearing through your mind at the speed of light

                             The eulogy is coming, oh you’ll never get it right
                             until you see between the bars of black and white.

Better be prepared when the ice begins to burn
Better pray that Jesus and Buddha both return

Better be prepared cause the temperature is rising
and no amount of advertising,
         neutralizing,
         polarizing,
         agonizing,
         hypnotizing,
         merchandising,
         moralizing,
         synchronizing,
         self-aggrandizing will,

not surprisingly,

save your poor besotted ass.

  Frank Murphy