by M. L. Woldman, Late Capitalism Correspondent

now the lackies go to the land
and hemorrhage the land
and call forth the oils
what should stay in the land
and eat all waters
like waters never end

and the bellows and flume
cough some magical dust
upon the sky
to make us warmer
so we boil like good subjects

hitherto the coughs
made at the sun
were harmless catastrophes of industry
but now bear down on burnt brows
making polar bear stew
at the borders of our knowing

it is time to cough thickly
in the faces of industry
so industry feels
the gob and germ
mask its visage

it is only right
that the poisons brought by industrialization
come splashing back
to its rotten countenance  

Editors note: As this post is prepared, this breaking news story came to be: “Drone strikes knock out half of Saudi oil capacity, 5 million barrels a day,” by John Defterios and Victoria Cavaleire, CNN Business, September 14, 2019. Worth a mention.