MR ORANGE MAN

MR ORANGE MAN

you told the soldiers
to stand up straight
lose weight

know
who’s the boss

stream
in single file
loaded
and locked

off
to the gym

need
to look beautiful
get into
shape, stay
trim

for all those enemies
without, and within,
especially within

told them
to fight the good
fight
love

the sight
of blood
(neither forgiveness
nor redemption
international law, code
of honour, Geneva
Convention)

all rules
of engagement, out
the window, thrown
into question

to clap
for their Emperor, save
his approval ratings

to which god-given
command they
did not
respond

such poker-faced
warriors

they will not
last long

(too much
internal enemy
still
    nestling
within them)