American Jericho

American Jericho


Trumpets blast!
Walls fall and the demons escape
From the crumbled, pebbled stone
And powdered mortar
That contained them since
     The first day.

The walls fell on
     The first day too.
They didn’t even notice,
They didn’t even try to leave.

On the first day, they
     Didn’t know which was
In and which
Was out and which
Which was the preferred.

Sirens wail!
Walls fall and the demons enter
Through the celebrated ruins
Past the scorched libraries
That kept them out since
     The first day.

The walls fell on
     The first day too.
So they just
Rebuilt them and
Forgot about inside.

On the first day, they
     Defined which which was
Out and which
Was in; denied
Self-serving preference.