The Force

(with apologies to Dylan Thomas)


The force that through the hedge funds drives the bet
Drives my car’s wheels; that blasts the I.E.D.
Is my annuity.
And I am dumb to tell myself
My soul is lost to the same hungry fever.

The force that spews the oil from the pipe
Drives my blood cold and coats the coastal tides
Is my slick slave.
And I am dumb to mouth unto its slime
How at the gushing well we all suck.

The hand that casts the vote pumps the gas
Dials the broker who buys the BP stock
That drills for more
And I am dumb to tell the tarball force
How it rolls on from sea to slippery sea.

The soaring eagle becomes the tar-draped pelican
The sanctuary is made a mortuary
All life destroyed.
And I am dumb to tell the lusty marshy life
How it is lost to human greed for profit margins.

And I am dumb to tell the womb turned tomb
How through my hair goes the same oily comb.