the magic kingdom

look at a child
a winged creature flown in
from the other side like
the shuttle from outer space
she is the young phoenix
and quickly converts her
earthside nest to a magic palace
i know this because i saw
my own toddlers coming and going
from their own oystered kingdoms
shiny and smooth
like mother of pearl
such fertile soil for the
launching of ecstasy
culture poisons the soil
and tears down the palace
erecting a laboratory to
alchemize the phoenix
to a dodo
we are a bunch of
dodos with armor
trading wings
for the bars of the
laboratory cage
we wear our cages on our backs
to fend against others
each a soldier following
the orders of the king caged dodo
from each district
the command is always
for rape the maddened
vengeful hate for
wings and palaces and
all that we have lost
but the culture cage of death
has no foundation and cannot
hold those of imagination
who know their wings have
only been folded down
by their sides
honor your children and
hatch them gently
kneel before them
feathered kings and queens
on the throne of
the magic kingdom