poem of the day 02.24.11

we threw them away

we threw them away

the waitresses, the waiters, the bartenders,
the retail clerks, and the mechanics

like yesterday’s papers
like old gum
like another failed lottery ticket

we threw them away

the teachers, the professors,
the kids with college debt,
and the ghetto kids too

then we had a coke and a smile
and didn’t recycle our bottles

we thanked the corporations
that aren’t hiring
killed the union man
gave tax breaks to the rich

we threw them away

the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker

threw them away

like a mcdonald’s wrapper
scraped them off like the minced onions
on a factory hamburger

the librarians, the machinists,
the firefighters, the admin assistants,
and the owner of the shop around the corner

we threw them away

the artists, the carpenters, the mailmen,
the chemists, the social workers,
the disc jockeys, the farmers,
the economists, the seamen,
the notary publics, the short order cooks,
and all the girls in hr

and then we went shopping
fucked our mistresses and masters
came to fantasies of movie actors
and wealthy athletes
writhing in our beds

we threw them away

the landscapers and loan officers
musicians and pharmacists,
pilots and reporters

we tossed them in the trash
like rancid meat
like dog shit or table scraps

we never stormed city hall
we never burned wal-mart to the ground

we threw them away

the secretaries, the urban planners,
zookeepers, and writers
data entry keyers, real estate agents,
and electricians

we watched the big game
and never had a care
we watched the middle east burn
and then sent out for pizza

we threw them away
like they were nothing but flesh and bone

the mothers, the fathers, the aunts and uncles,
the brothers and sisters, the friends, the enemies,
the lovers and haters, the pets

the future

mine and yours

ours.