we interrupt this regular program

'police of the world'
at all u.s. military installations worldwide
for this important announcement and action:
please revise daily schedules
& edit all operational manuals
replacing all references to
iran
afghanistan
iraq
pakistan
yemen
europe
okinawa
(further identification & clarification in the coming days)

with the words
climate
emergency

pack all personal and operational
gear & equipment
     including shovels
for the
long
trip
home

--- e b bortz

(published in opednews.com, Oct 31, 2012)

earth note 213

dog leads me out back
with his lump ridden body
a cold gale-like rain
from the east
reaches out
dragging each of us
     our marrow
     our memories deeply frozen
other than tonight
     these last days
          have been warm
          like the freedom
          of a fallen leaf
         
the vet has described the inevitable

we turn into the wind
and it beats us again
     this night
     leaves no message
          but dreams

--- e b bortz

quality over quantity

the burning bush
in the backyard
makes up for its
lack of mass
with its intensity
of red

--- e b bortz

four years

to make the president accountable
     and that failed
(you'll have another chance)
maybe too many hiding beneath
nonprofit grants
     more like tombs
or refusal to make way in the personal
     ego-driven organizational turf
          being on the outs of the ivory tower
          is a worth in itself
     the well connected are usually only talkers
          believe it or not
the end product
     nothing more than
          $ubmission

--- e b bortz

(published in opednews.com, Oct 20, 2012)

tonight's the night

they'll be 'debating'
foreign policy
and that scares the hell out of me

who will strike first
faux pas blood lust
cannon fodder locked & loaded

enemies grow ripe
on the vine
they'll raise their glasses
     merlot on the house

--- e b bortz

(published in opednews.com, Oct 16, 2012)
(published in earth notes and other poems, Least Bittern Books, 2015)

earth note 212

itasca county, minnesota

when swamp grass
and a wetland begin to freeze
the small brown mounds
poking upward
will keep you aloft

if you're careful where you step
     like walking on clouds
     surely as close as you'll get
staying dry     inhaling the coming winter
a refuge found in northern lights

--- e b bortz

earth note 211

arizona 1979

the snow from
the white mountains
drew us outward
beyond the roads
& noisy sliding hill
pulling across
a vast plateau
i broke new trail
ski tracks formed firmly
with apache land and sky
gray blue clouds jockeying
toward the east
our seven-year-old
gliding close by
doggedly planting
his new poles
     to his own rhythm

--- e b bortz

earth note 210

a cardinal
waves the red orange rust
in the foreground
on a wire
blending with
the changing leaves
across the avenue
     a perfect anonymity

--- e b bortz

(published in earth notes and other poems, Least Bittern Books, 2015)

they ran for the exits...found the doors wouldn't open

what a nightmare
this lackluster debate performance
brought about
     none too few
     hearing the drivel
went looking for something else
     like
when will the real world
find its way into presidential politics

but they couldn't leave
the system had jammed
the door latch
in such a way
that frustration
became the common denominator
     99% of the people
being overwhelmed
     by 99% media noise

guess you could say
the two empty suits did us a favor
     next time we'll carry our tools

--- e b bortz

(published in opednews.com, Oct 6, 2012)

accountability, part two

the ever changing
kill list applications data
is embedded in the
auto-pilot controls
of a stealth drone
sanitized with a minimum
of human contact
at least until
missiles touch down
in a remote middle east village
in a square
where the celebration or wedding
is taking place
after the remote controllers
give it that final satellite view
and go ahead and green light
as casual as a slow motion replay
unleashing death
without so much
as a whimper

let your children know

--- e b bortz

(published in opednews.com, Oct 2, 2012)