While farmers' daughters 

cavort the cows run wild since 

the barn door is agape 

The sunflowers are 

blooming and their heads hang down

in judgement of all 

Smoke from a million 

acres chokes the people who

still deny the cause 

Civility cracked 

like concrete opening to

a yawning cavern 

Joyous shouting from the

summer streets harks back to a

simpler time that calls 

While poets starve and

artists crawl a few callous 

oligarchs succeed 

Braggadocio

bottoms out by dawn's bell and

bellows your self-doubt