Take a stick to the truth, a
stirring stick, a mixing stick
and stick
your truth all over me like jewels,
like geegaws, fabulous flashes, black
flak jackets, cigarette packets, like
nothing on earth, like birth, like, like,
California, I’ve never been there…
Where are you?
In America. Anywhere
in America.
And the wind
howls and the walls creak
and the trees
shiver and the animals wail
and the weapons take over
the warriors.
There are no more warriors, only operators.
Stick to the truth. I loathe
your lies, those grey lying
ways. Don’t you be like that.
Stay with us, now! Stay real, y’hear me?
I want no plastic doll. Reality,
I want reality and make no
mistake — make all the mistakes you can.
I want no fake, no sharp mask. Your
own flawed skin, uneven jawline, off-white teeth.
Stick to the truth.
(First published in the forum on atu2.com)