day FIFTY FIVE

The Molten Mirror Shows Himself

The Orange Menace admires The Molten Mirror.
“@FollowMMorElse shows you all your weaknesses
before melting you into a heap of slop,” he writes.
“Effective leader. Would work with him anytime!”

The Molten Mirror used to be a police officer,
became too curious about science, stood too close
to chemical reactions, where opposing cultures crash.
He discovered how to police as more than one man.

The Orange Menace asks The Molten Mirror to visit.
He arranges a summit of golf at Citrus Palisades.
The Molten Mirror has manipulated his form
to accommodate pub cap, argyle sweater, spikes.

The Molten Mirror says there’s no need to look away.
The Orange Menace tries to find eyes but sees only
fast food, women, dotted lines to sign, incarnations
of himself losing control, so many incarnations.

The Orange Menace seeps into the green on Hole 17.
The Molten Mirror taps in an easy putt for birdie,
calls a groundskeeper to hose things down, tweets,
“I’m so pleased to be your Mulligan, America. :)”

--Daniel M. Shapiro