day ONE HUNDRED and FOUR

anarchist roses

the little anarchist kids

have taken a field trip to the art museum

they are all dressed in black

black t-shirts and dresses

black lipstick and black baseball hats

they are all carrying roses

anarchist roses

they are putting a single rose in front

of each art work

both the shitty art and the stuff that’s not too bad

anarchists do not discriminate

they are pissing off the guards

it’s monday and the guards probably thought

that they were getting a break from the bullshit

but that’s how anarchists work

they create bullshit out of thin air

or they dress in black and buy roses

and occasionally one shouts FUCK TRUMP!

the guards are all on their walkie-talkies

asking each other is there are roses on their floors too

the guards are telling the anarchists

to pick up the roses

but the kids refuse

they just smile and walk around putting roses

in front of all the art work

the guards won’t pick up the roses

one guard looked at a rose as if it were a bomb

he kicked at it just to make sure it wouldn’t ignite

the anarchist kids got a good laugh at that one

then they put more roses down

at least they weren’t taking pictures of the art

and then just walking away

like most of the people here today are doing

the anarchists are making a statement

about what i have no idea

or maybe it’s a criticism against museums

and art as commodity

all i know is that my feet hurt and i have to piss

and i want to shout FUCK TRUMP too

but i wonder if the museum

will have to call in the police or the bomb squad

to come and pick up the roses

how much these stunt will cost the taxpayer in the end

i wonder if i’m getting too old

to really appreciate anarchy

or if the anarchist kids

will remember this day as one of triumph

one in which they really got the man

not today

but years from now

when they’re sitting at some desk

working some fucking job

where the day always crawls to five o’clock

and sleep feels like a brief reprieve

and you can’t wear black lipstick

or lip rings or shave one side of your head

and on some weeks buying a dozen roses

means you can’t afford the art museum either

or it means the difference between paying your rent

or drinking top shelf

or heading for the rot gut aisle

yet again.

--John Grochalski