Coincident with the announcement that Barnum & Bailey were shuttering their circus, the results of the 2016 Presidential Election and in response to the writing prompt “a social situation where the participants are all animals,” I wrote a series of poems that captured my mood in January 2017. Based on poetic evidence after the jump, the mood was dark, dark, dark.

Poetry isn’t for everyone. Furthermore, I warrant that this poetry comes with no quality control, editorial assurance, or even artistry.

If poetry is not your read, move along and let us not speak of it again.

A poetry moment dropped here. (Best read screaming on a bullhorn in a padded room.)  Enjoy! ¹ *

Or not.

The Grand Ol’ Party

I. At the Circus

Q. Where have all the elephants gone?
A. Washington.

And last week the elephants met to party like they haven’t in years.

Blindfolded flame throwing daggers.
Affordable care, ethics, contraceptives, the United Nations be gone!

Donkeys be careful.
Donkeys look out.

II. The Ringleader

Meanwhile, the elephant-elect, ignoring all the other elephants in Washington
proclaims in Twitter verse “Insurance for everybody.”

What! What is this? A donkey in elephant’s clothing?
No, not a donkey. A jackass.

And even other elephants wish the elephant-elect

would go quietly into that dark night.

But in the dark of night and even the bright light of day,

we need to watch out for the children,
especially the little girls.

III. Circus Etiquette

“I no longer have to be politically correct!” said the elephant.

How dare she disagree with him?
And he did not grab his own genitals.
But hers.

“I no longer have to be politically correct!” said the elephant.

Open season on genitals, anyone’s.
Grab away big important-body elephant.
Enough straining against non-grabby political correctness.

“I no longer have to be politically correct! Your word against mine and nobody will believe you” says the elephant.

Say what there, Elephant?
What circus you think you’re in? Jackass.*

IV. The Barking Press²

Bark, bark, bark. Adjective activist.

Somewhere an adjective activist acts up.

Conservative activism.
Civil rights activism.
Educational activism.
Insert-your-own-adjective-here activism.

Get upset. Be upset. Stay upset.

Bark, bark, bark.

Someone is outside.
Someone wet the bed.
Someone stole things.
Someone lied.

Bark, bark, bark.

Stay entertained. Stay confused. Stay angry.

V. Meanwhile the donkeys …

The donkeys don’t want Canadian drugs.
They want only the good drugs.
And  Canadian drugs not as pure and good as our drugs.

Say what there donkey?
Follow the money?

Lions of drug money perched in your ring.
Donkey performing under lion’s gaze not coming clean.
And barking dogs not gonna tell us.

…

Fifty donkeys skipping the elephant-elect inauguration party.

Donkeys send their egrets.
But these donkeys have no egrets.

He ain’t my elephant.
I ain’t his donkey.
Not my circus.

Donkeys gearing up for a fight.

VI. At Circus’ End

It’s a grand old circus and it’s closing for good.

What can we run off to join if we can’t join the circus?
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey.
Bailey & Barnum.

Done & done.

VII. Hi Dee Ho³

Elephant, you know the slow arc of history bends towards justice?
Can you read the writing on the wall?
Are you confused by the new emojis?
Are you a Republican or a Republicant?

Your party isn’t grand
and it’s too exclusive to be much of a party.

It’s just old.
Not dignified, wise, well-mannered, self-contained old.

O. Oh. Zero.

¹For posterity. Mine. This blog is Ms. Diva Viva’s vanity venue, these poems were of the moment, and I can’t imagine publication in other volumes for many reasons including but not limited to technical, tone, subject matter, brevity. The list is long. Just sayin.’

² Poetry written when I was naive, nay, I was ignorant on the need for activism. The press still seems to chase thrown shiny objects though. Distractions. Focus media. We need focus.

³ When written, there must have been some emoji confusion. So the arch of history is slow in its bending, but 10 months later intense analysis of new cheeseburger emojis by Faux Fox News continues to support the observation that the GOP:Tea Party is fascinated by new emojis while failing at the actual work of policy and governance outside of ICU intravenous support to keep racism, sexism, special shooting interests alive …

* This poetry is the result of a writing prompt. Apologies to elephants, donkeys, dogs, even jackasses, et al for malalignment.