ALLERGIES

In the land of 10,000 class presidents

there is way too much Tuesday night traffic,

too much gossip between the monuments,

and too many blossoms rimming the Potomac.

Smiles scar and stone misquotes our heroes.

Lovers father our twins without us. Resentments

are almost always faxed. And dashes declare peace

is not possible without treaties.

The Defense Department waters its rhododendrons

while jaundiced stars hang in tatters

in dark corners, so 8^th graders can learn

Evil has a name and a number.

Jazz standards caravan around

the Kennedy Center in a failed circle. Liberty

lassos Happiness while History blames

all it's forgotten on ADD.

Please tell me my sinuses will survive the season,

that no more oaths will be uttered facing east,

that bullets can’t kill a dynasty

or murder a king’s dream.

Convince me Night will never shatter again like glass,

that all our spasms and complaints will come to an end,

that we’ll stop swilling our garlic with our gin,

and that gargoyles won’t rain down from the sky.

And persuade me once and for all

that it will be the newborns who will bless the souls

of the wicked as they file into Heaven

like beasts into the garden.