Ethel, the weekend social warrior

i find

her crying on the side of the road,

my social warrior friend,

Ethel. she's

sitting on

a curb.

she looks tired and beaten.

the blue dye

in her hair

is running down her face.

she's holding an upside down American

flag that's

still smoldering.

i hand her a paper

towel

and tell her to dab

her nose,

those nose rings are going to rust

if you don't

dry your face.

can you pour a water bottle

into my eyes,

she asks.

that bear mace

is lethal, i should have brought

my gas mask

i bought at Costco the other day.

i pour some water on the flag too,

dousing the embers.

so how did it go today?

i ask her.

make any progress with whatever

it is you're doing?

yes,

she says, sniffling.

i think we're breaking them.

we're going to win

this war.

can you help me up, i think

i peed my pants.