H: In Another Place

In Another Place

In a country of arrogance
a land of unconscious consciousness
and no one humble
voices flee even the ghosts of truth
Where suspiciousness undulates
Like waves of heat in Saharan plains
Where everyone has something
on the tip of their tongue to speak
Noble thoughts, they say
As they place their soft hands upon
Your back, and caress you nicely

You pull back, pull back, pull back
But your reflection in the cockeyed window
Shows your nakedness, your vulnerability.
They want to give you pearls
For the girls they think you want
They want to adorn your home
with many-colored birds
and silky linen to wear
while standing thigh deep
in the mud of their souls .

Compress your eyes and recognize
Pull back, pull back, pull back
And remember truth:
They want to pound nails through your palms
They want to pierce your brow with thorns.