sursum corda
By noon the Mall awaits,
though sad Isaiah warned
of orphans made and widows scorned …
the war we wanted disappoints
Gas prices stalled last week,
so squat new SUVs
ascend the crumbling clover-leafs …
the war we wanted disappoints
Let record markets quake
and cell-phones skip a bleat,
still Chinese shoes adorn our feet …
the war we wanted disappoints
Prime steaks on high-tech grills
incense suburban air;
both parties promise real health-care …
the war we wanted disappoints
As Persians strain at nukes,
wronged Kurds now lay for Turks,
and Chavez slips Big Oil the works …
the war we wanted disappoints
Take Google as your guide:
you’ll find old friends, odd facts,
and disembodied carnal acts …
the war we wanted disappoints
With cable for our vine
and credit our fig tree,
we’re free to be what we shall be …
miserere nobis
— William Bedford Clark
