someone disconnected the calendar from the year
it's almost November, Hallowe'en is next week
yesterday the thermometer's mercury climbed like a stuntman
by noon, we could hardly breathe, by midafternoon
people were being taken to the hospital
or being plunged into pools cooler than their bodies
the calendar says fall has arrived, but summer rules on
air conditioners falter, the power companies complain
we use too much of their product
a capitalist wouldn't understand
but then a capitalist wouldn't understand our system
a wise man wouldn't understand our system
especially not that when it breaks
we do not call for engineers but bible-thumpers
Christians, Muslims, Keynesians, the capitalist cults
and half a dozen others
one bible or another, none of them with anything practical to say
some wise man once said
a people gets the government it deserves
to which I add
and the system it deserves
but that doesn't help much
I propose a matchup
let every bible-thumping group select a champion
and throw him in a ring armed with his book
let them bash each other til only one can stand
then load them all in barrels and dump them in Niagara
the winner can get in the barrel last
or first, his choice
and any bible-thumping dissenter can join them in their trip
then we call in the engineers and let them solve the problems
the ones they can solve
and when the calendar and year connect again
when everyone can use the power he or she needs
and has the water and food he or she needs
then we take time to reconsider
do we really want the bible thumpers back?
or is there some better way to run a world?
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