Faith Drains

 

christian ronaldo
at a press conference
took down the real thing
a well-known drain cleaner
also consumed as a soft drink..

a simple impromptu action
caused shares of that product to plunge
investors perturbed ran for the door
after he moved two bottles out of shot
and said agua
the butterfly power drive..

lucky for the astonishingly indebted usa
the dollar as reserve currency is still believed to be the real thing
though not yet tested in drains..

Mud-Dial Countdown

 

count down the days to holiday-time again – check..

vaccine passport – check
masks – check
track-and-trace – check
safe list check – check
graphene booster to fortify the life-affirming experimental jab – check
packs of tests in bag – check
holiday reservation confirmed – check
sunglasses – check
dystopian sci-fi novel for thought-provoking reading material - check
holiday time..

the airport – all in line
good green subjects mask-up to breathe in our carbon dioxide - check
breathe in again and again until the new normal is behind - check
responsibly recycle our own lung waste material to save our planet - check
fall-in the we-are-in-this-together-forever together - check
hello greta
ad nausea..

an added nudge
avoid the threat of the few thousand pounds fine
for not complying
no holiday
if our paltry savings are used to pay the not-masking-up fine..

our blood and brain will be fine
set an example to the jabbed masked children - check..

social distancing on a budget plane not required - check..

arrival in paradise -
everything scanned – check
additional tests – check
id added to more databases – check
shade the freedom-loving people in the sunshine - check..

hotel check-in – check
covid-id déjà vu again again again again – check
check check check check check - check
hotel room – check
sunglasses and mask – check
social distance on the beach – check
mask-up on the beach - check
breathe in my precious lung effluvia in sunny climes – check
covertly take my mask down
only after scoping the sand dunes for spies - check..

lying in the sand
gaze up into the infinite starry night
ask myself what it all means
in the sand – check
hear the rolling surf sneak under noise-cancelling headphones – check
clutch in my tightening fist wet sand granules the texture of mud - check..

count the days down until this wonderful holiday ends – check..
count up the days..
until the next morale-boosting holiday arrives again – check..

Tasteful Thumbnail

seldom shocked i was struck by a thumbnail
a comely woman in a bikini cross legged in the sand
toussled golden hair
the best of vietnam..

the best of vietnam
of course i understood immediately
click
a baby boomer had uploaded their favourite music
never mind the napalm and agent orange edgy exfoliants
the gulf of tonkin false flag that helped justify further involvement
the dad of jim morrison the uss maddox admiral
the end indeed
then there was cambodia and laos
a few million more there
some of the landmines are still killing people off fifty years on..

the best of vietnam
a few oscar-winning films
suspend disbelief and make millions
entertainment empire..

the best of vietnam
and haight ashbury
the military industrial entertainment complex
the lookout mountain hollyweird..

the best of vietnam
a photo of a comely woman her eyes closed
doing some yoga on the sand
the best of vietnam..

millions slaughtered to the stones and the beach boys
burned alive to hendrix
purple haze
the beatles and other tavistock institute puppets
villages scorched to great guitars
a woman doing yoga on the california sand
the best of vietnam..

typical comment left for the curator 
i was there..
typical reply
sir thank you for your service defending freedom..
the music was great..
.

the best of afghanistan
the best of libya
the best of iraq
the best of syria
the best of yemen
the thumbnail could be a masked non-binary on an exercise bike
music defending our way of life..