Poetry of Issue #7        Page 58

A Fine Place to Hunker Down

This is the dragon’s day.
We have waited in long lines a long time
to see beyond the smoke and mirrors.

Now we have drawn a map for you to follow
as you move from one neighborhood to another
or take a stroll around the park at lunchtime.
It’s just a little thing to help you out, they say,
and we’ll be able to keep the dragons away,
keep the unlicensed thieves from your wallet,
watch over whom you spend your time with.
It doesn’t cost much, might save your life
if we can get you to cooperate just a bit,
get you settled in front of your tv at night
where we can call you in your cell on your cell
in case there are warnings even the media misses
that should be whispered before the lights go out.

It is for your own good and you’re one of us, not
of the dragons and shamans and woodland elves,
but of a more responsible sort of soul, aren’t you?
I mean, you do want to be paid so you can eat
and we’ve given a lot of thought to that and
here on the map is a fine place to hunker down.

  Jared Smith