Dale Champlin, Madonna Magritte 4, Collage, 2021
LARGE EMPTY PLATE
Look I studied to be a politician
I planned on your support
Why didn’t you vote for me
Why don’t you memorize my speeches
Use them to caulk your windows
What right did you have
To go on vacations
To spend money
On new clothes
I’m not Bozo the Clown
I’m ready to forget calculus forever
Did thinking rescue Joan Crawford?
Does good English
Help Madonna?
Tell me why you want to die
So I can begin campaigning again
I have blank signs
Many cans of spray paint
I know where the good mortuaries are
And how to cremate an ant with a magnifying glass
________________________
John McKernan