Forces of Shiva

on the west hillside the forces of shiva

on the east hillside the forces of kali

in the valley is a giant guppy

bubbles drift up from the soda pop beds

the singing purple streaks waft to sky

beautiful sky of cyril

massive intelligent plants in armor

cut off the forces at the Olaney Pass

miracle weapons turn time around and

soothe the fevered brow of the dead king

wall of heretofore and never again writes:

“i am motionless help me help me”

but only the fingermonkeys see this and they

do not read

great bubbling of the seas prelude the invasion

mile-long submersible vessels containing the last

of the broken cellophaneers are towed by the

headwhales to positions on the shore

air pipes make a forest in the foam

everyone is buried deep in the bunker

anxious faces peer up at the white steel ceiling

is five hundred feet down enough a boy asks

answered by silence he becomes a man in this moment

all pinwheels spin in the blue breeze

all skylashes quiver with kinetic monstrousity

the general watches the center fold as he sips

his iced tea and taps idly at the keyboard

‘there will never be another peaceful day,’ he writes

‘and the chocolate men have melted and run down the face

of the Great Statue of Beth.’

the fingermonkeys sing

the wall screams

and Patrick McLafferty taps his toes

on the grim floor of a Kentucky jail