AMERICA, THE NEXT GENERATION

America, you hang me upside down
by my ankles like a salt shaker.
America, you haven’t freed the slaves.
America, you kick the pregnant womb
and watch it bleed on television.
America, you struck oil!
America, you killed Jesus Christ.
America, you stand in lines sucking tail
pipes waiting for Disneyland to open.
America, you rape the bottom line.
America, you whitewash the flag.
America, you won’t print this because
it offends you.
America, you drink poisoned water.
America, you deserve a licking.
America, you evict families in the name
of balancing the budget.
America, blame it on your parents.
America, you can’t live without
another war.
America, you believe George Bush.
America, you erect 100-story mirrors
that scratch the clouds.
America, the angels are laughing at you.
America, you’re afraid to pull the plug.
America, the world is watching.
And they want to take your all-new,
totally-redesigned, anti-lock brakes,
anti-theft, power-steering, air-conditioned,
driver’s-side air-bag convertible
away from you with more-horsepower-
than-you-know-what-to-do-with and
drive it off into the sunset.
America, aren’t you sick of this? I am.
America, I won’t have it your way on a
sesame seed bun, with the real thing.
America, McDonalds is the world’s
largest purchaser of cow anuses.
America, I don’t want your spare
change.
America, I love the smell of my own
farts.
America, I have an ulterior motive.
I am the Revolution.
America, the British are coming. The
British are coming.
America, I masturbate everyday.
It’s my duty.
America, it ain’t over till it’s over.
America, the CIA is selling you cocaine.
America, I’m stuck in stop and go traffic.
America, I wish you could pick me out in
a crowd and say hello and mean it.
America, I’ve got a call coming in on
the other line.
America, you can’t escape yourself.
America, you shoot first and ask
questions later.
America, only homeboys have gun
Fights in the middle of the streets.
America, they’re coming to a
neighborhood near you.
America, you’re afraid of people with
long hair, ear rings, silk panties, flannel
suits, silver badges, gay voices, big dicks,
little dicks, tits, Bibles, compassionate
hands, homeless hands, dead hands.
America, I don’t feel powerless.
America, I’m the mad hound from hell.
America, you have 30 days to clear out
of town.
America, the money’s gone.
America, you buy your head between
the thighs of Chase Manhattan Bank.
America, your leaders gouge out their
eyes and stuff them into money purses.
America, you buy Snake Water from
Satan for no money down,
no payments till March.
America, you stole this land in the
name of God.
America, the mountains have been
here longer than you.
America, you want it all and you
want it now.
America, you step on your Mother’s
face to get ahead.
America, you cut me off on the
freeway.
America, you defecate on sidewalks.
America, your Fathers are ashamed.
America, where the hell is Yankee
Doodle Dandy now?
America, Popeye can’t find his spinach.

January, 1991