"landfill clapping" by Tony Mancus

we should watchhow the sirensturn their waydown the windshould hear trafficstall before it reachesthe coast. a wholelie. the swarmof bee-like peoplework-a-day/work-a-daywaiting. we should garnetthe stray cats and wash offthe puppies, their blindand milky-white eyes,their weak-in-the-knee-stumble sopping with cute.we should knowsomething and howto do it -- make wood outof trees and outof wood, what -- a handle,a complete setof reference materials?what else we should endwhere we kick and jumpand stand -- a stay for folly --a stable of knownflims and flams.this circus can'tget any more round,crowded, can't letthe cows minglewith the clowns.the barker.shut his mouthwith a nail gun.it's a slide-show, tooreplete with gorgeousbearded women -- statuesof commerce buriedunder their toes.the poor folkof name-your-sad-towncome begging.their children straptto them. their backs.their dreamsand remembrance.out of woodthe forest returnsto take overthe land full of clapping.mouthy childrenstampede to their posts.a line of them and lies.a line of whatand waiting -- to dig upthe dirt, to playat work and wages.we should sell offthe caps we no longer wearand trade in our jargonfor better, cleaner-burningjargon -- stuffthat dazzlesand purrs.