America is not dead

America is not dead; the obituaries have been a not so clever rouse. America
is not dead; America is a deadbeat dad America made a dream in the backseat
of a Chevy on a school night, and then ignored the vessel of it's own lust
America is not dead; it's not even decadently living in Bukowski-ian
excess/depravity. America is obese and unemployed and addicted to the
mundane morning television shows.

American is no longer among the greatest minds of its generation. America
played organized sports and paid lip service to organized religion, got a gentleman's c average and thinks books are overrated. America is not dead;
its not even on life support. America kinked its back in the back seat and
is trying to live off an SSI check under an assumed name. America is not
dead; America is the kind of guy who is all talk and a glass jaw. America is
not dead; America is just trying to dodge the taxman, eating the neighbors'
crops and blaming rabbits. America is not dead; it's got spinach stuck in
it's teeth and an eye liner mustache and it's varicose veins don't bleed
red, white or blue- America bleeds pollution, prisoners and porn - in the
shower and slaps on a pad and tries to pretend it didn't happen.
America is not dead; it spits on the graves of Twain and Whitman as it
drives it's tractor under the influence with out a license over the
dilapidated bridge. America is not dead; it's not even on the run. It's whining that no one ever hangs out anymore as it sits on the coach waxing about the good old days. America is not dead; it's just oblivious and too
lazy to open its mail. America is texting you at work- to see if you'll stop
by later with a 6 pack and some smokes.

America is not dead; though it's taste buds are- too any thing that isn't
drowning in corn syrup under a mountain of salt. America is not dead;
America is unaware of it's own actions and has no idea why it's just been
served, America thinks every one is picking on him and wants to tell someone
but America dropped out, and not in the Timothy Leary way. America listened
to "just say no" then said yes to every prescription drug the commercials
offered him, America is hopped up on diet pills and NyQuil, complaining
about those damn drug addicts. America is not dead; America is treating the
symptoms and ignoring the cause for the sake of profit. America is not dead;
America just can't get hard with out a pill and is not sure if it wants to
go on.

America is not dead; it just needs to be reminded of that fact. America was
the bastard child of a 600-pound gorilla and a white elephant raised
believing it was a swain who could break dance. America is not dead; it just
doesn't recognize it's reflection any more . . . and is afraid. America is
not dead; it just needs a purpose, it needs some one to teach it: how to
work, how to eat, how to fuck, how to sleep, how to take responsibility for
it's own action

America is not dead; it's just pretending cause life is easier that way

-n.Lewis
in the tub by candle light
82 sawdust
10-11-07

published in thin air magazine winter 2008
many thanks to the editors especially mackenzie kell