1976 Apology and Rescission of 1838 Executive Order Calling for the Extermination or Expulsion of Mormons from the State of Missouri

anti-everything poem
–Ross Leese

and the jews
and so what of the jews?

and the christians
and so what of the christians?

and the hindus
and so what of the hindus?

mormons
catholics
sikhs
muslims
mary
mungo
midge

ad infinitum.

hoaxed believers,
irrespective of actual
belief,

are still hoaxed
believers–

in anybody’s pitiful
little language.

Ross Leese tends to be a lot more miserable than he has any real right to be. His favourite Doors song is Riders on the storm. It makes him move in a way that may be described as dancing. Or not. Usually not.

Our hands heave
To harm and hamper,
Not to help and heal.

Not to assist
The damsel in distress
Instead feel refresh
In molesting mistress.

Not to weaken
The woes of widows
But apt to weaken
Their only credos.

Not to stop
The rape
But we are top
In viewing the naked tape.

We have destitution
In deleting the prostitution
But we are to the fore
In bargaining the whore.

Not to prohibit
The child labour
But not hesitate to inhibit
Their favour.

Not to curb
The poverty
But ready to disturb
The Poor’s liberty.

We use stick
To persecute the weak
We use flower
To adorn the tower.

Not to ameliorate
Law and order
But not fret to generate
Chaos and disorder.

We have temptation
To incur evil reputation
But we have palpitation
In getting good inspiration.

We praise
When our hands raise
To tarnish and damage
The image of sage.

We neglect
The existing institution
But we accept
The amendment of constitution.

What a relief!
If our hands heave
To leave
Harm and hamper
But to help and heal.

Vivekanand Jha is a poet and research scholar, from India. His research focus is on the poetry of the noted Indian English poet Jayanta Mahapatra. His poems have been published in the following magazines: (i) Pagan Imagination (ii) P & W (Poetry and Writing) (iii) Danse Macabre (iv) Vox Poetica (v) Writing Raw (vi) Whisper.

Art: Cast of Abraham Lincoln’s hands, reduced in size; La Main de Madame Hugo; from World War II poster

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