the end of democracy, oh my

i have a talk

with my neighbor

over the fence.

'they' has bright blue hair

now, like

a robin's egg,

and a giant

cow ring in her nose,

the kind

they attach to livestock

when they

lead them

out of the barn

to be slaughtered.

she says,

you better store up on food,

Doritos and Skittles,

water,

household necessities,

matches

and batteries.

get ready, she says.

it's coming.

but why i ask her, why?

what's going on?

what's coming?

i look up into the sky expecting

to see an asteroid

streaking towards earth.

don't you watch CNN,

she says,

or MSNBC?

any minute now democracy

is going to end.

oh, dang.

and i just planned a cruise

to the Bermuda.

that's a shame, i tell

her, then slap a fat

rib eye steak on the grill

and pour myself

a tonic and gin.