TABANDA
The President is boldly
congratulating himself
on his essential
pre-emptive strikes
on a vicious, terrible people
I met one of these vicious
monsters decades ago
(met quite a few
but this one
I remember)
pulled the short straw
and had
to teach her English
all the middle-aged
British tutors at the college
horrified at her
reputation, flatly refusing,
worst of all
was going to be
one on one
me and her, head to head
bound for confrontation
nothing for
her ever good enough
no possible placation
hope of pacification
so I passed
through that door
looked around the room
no sign of mortal threat
no sign of imminent danger
just
Tabanda
sweetest student I
ever had
Libra glyph on
medallion
about her neck
not that I
knew, barring her name,
any of that yet
trying to
introduce myself, words
a bit stuck
not really coming out
needing to
make an adjustment, take
everything in my side
never before taught, met,
a woman of such
astonishing beauty
crazy the
lengths we need
to go to demonize.
poems 2 die for 