what if the shoe was on the other foot.

Bombs away over L. A.

We huddled around
our respective coffees
café au le
cappuccino
café late’
Designer fate out of our hands
our eyes sublime
drinking in the
redundant Los Angeles sunshine but
the news reflected from the paper
was anything but good.

The President of these United States
the mayor of los angeles
were being called to task
by an international
human
rights
tribunal.

Undocumented sources
reliable witnesses
paid informants
served notice on
respective majesties
reported crimes
in Technicolor
Hollywood noir
to the United Nations
to Amnesties International
to the world press
to Rupert Murdock himself.

They were reliable
dependable
trustworthy
almost desirable
eyewitnesses to
witting ruthlessness
as performed by the rather laidback Gestapo
known as the LAPD
where on a consistent basis
to hapless minorities
that had grown to majority
and only blue suits kept their vision abated.
Only blue suits kept the populace subdued.
rounding up their dreams
and prosecuting their nightmares
to the fullest extent of the law.

Building citadel prisons
with dungeon precision
to incarcerate
to alienate
to eliminate
the so-called criminal element
in cries of three strikes you’re out.
Keeping their visions under lock and key
imprisoned in the fortress of ineptitude;
solitary confinement for imagination.

But the world was no longer
looking the other way
their faces turned to L.A.
Telling the mayor to toe the mark.
Telling the president to not cross the line.
They pledged sovereignty
not idle chatter.

The United States of America
was given deadline to cease and desist,
laurel wreathes of peace extended for the moment.
But President and Mayor joining hands in promise
refused with utter contempt to change ways
homegrown and rooted in tradition.
The United Nations declared
Los Angeles fair game
to peace keeping BOMBERS.

Tinsel town under attack
shouted headlines in black and sharp white!
Parker Center was ground zero!
Bombs away over L.A.!
Tell me it ain’t so Mickey
Tell me it ain’t so Donald
Goofy
Pluto
Popeye
Where are you when we need you?
It’s all illusion anyway
It’s just another war movie,
another cartoon comedy
another siren goes off but
its air raid not cops
bad boy bad boy.

Bombs rain down on L.A.
the last headline spoke
out of the blue
and the haze of Los Angeles sunshine
We are a sovereign nation
The President said
this is L.A. the Mayor said
City Hall DESTROYED the headline read.

We are selecting only military targets
the combined forces reported:
Paramount studios is forever in reruns
Sony is only a digital memory
The lion is gone from MGM
Universal is just another ride in a theme park
Disney is
Mickey Mouse
Tinsel town detinselized!
The center of evil has been destroyed the BBC shouted!



© 2000 lgjaffe