Holiday Party in San Bernardino
14 dead.
21 wounded.
Holiday party in San Bernardino.
Syed Farook and his wife
in black tactical gear spray
75 bullets all over the hall.
Our president wants to know more.
He wants the FBI to tell him
the couple's motive.
Perhaps this explains why
the Trumpeter Swan enjoys
a 20-point lead in the polls.
Donal Mahoney
Diplomatic Intrigue
We send diplomats
to talk with diplomats
of other nations
and hope a deal
is struck to bring
peace and justice
to all involved and
we’re stymied when
diplomats come back
and bury us beneath
balderdash and buncombe.
It’s time we face the facts.
It’s time to send
the exorcists instead.
Donal Mahoney
Just for a Day
If you want to know
what it’s like to have nothing
just for a day
head for Skid Row.
Trade your suit and 20 bucks
for the attire of a resident
standing against a wall.
Buy a tin cup and yellow pencils
and go to Union Station in time
for the evening rush hour
when suburbanites with jobs
on Michigan Avenue go home
for dinner and a little HBO.
Flop down near the entrance
in your tatters with pencils and cup.
Wear Charles Bronson sunglasses
and hold high a sign that says,
“Will Work for Food.”
Count the briefcases that sail by
and see how many pencils you sell,
how many people even look at you
before the gendarmes arrive
and poke you with a baton
then walk you away.
Donal Mahoney
