Perfumed Ignorance
by Odin Roark

World leadership is often of a stench
Only those of us who smell our own
Can recognize

How heavy the laden air
Filled as it is
With duplicitous fragrance
The unctuous smile
The sweat-wiped palm

Yet still we endorse their reigns
Our brothel-like choice
Matched only by their turn-a-trick mindset

Perhaps this olfactory sense of spoilage
Will never become apparent
Lest we discover our own breath

Yes

At times
As a species
We are truly
Immersed in toilet water
(the other kind)
And run the risk
Of never emerging
From our invited perfumed ignorance