politics is an indulgent affair.
a million living rooms, a million couches
tuned to the same channel
with their eyes glued to the same screen.
they unwrap a box, skim the instructions
and toss it in the microwave.
red and white stripes all down the side,
classically American.
it's entertainment and gossip,
CNN becomes TMZ as we pick our sides.
bowls overflowing with bright orange dust and
artificial promises to make us feel safe.
the men we watch eagerly
have greasy, sticky hands covered in lies.
and it's a dirty secret of midnight screenings
that we've honestly never cared.
and just like the popcorn in the microwave,
we will never notice anything
until it starts to burn, amber crust
on what we thought was a perfect porcelain dish
of an exceptional nation.
A/N: This is a sort of companion poem, I guess, to my new short story Allegiance. It's going to be about a Muslim teenage girl and her feelings throughout the election— mostly because I'm beginning to feel like I'm the only one taking Donald Trump seriously anymore. Election fever is so chaotic right now, and it's only going to get worse.
YOU ARE READING
Clean: An Anthology
Poetry{#73 in Poetry- May 17, 2016} A series of poems and essays about the things I wish I could say out loud. @soundthealarm made the gorgeous cover.
