Captives of the Violent Screen

2000

So you think you’re free

But then you tune into me

And trade your clarity

For my insanity

While you perceive one caption

At a time you ask no questions

I’am your tv god

And you sit there consuming

And consumed

As your watching me I’m watching you

Captives of violent screen stimulie for the war machines

Young at heart impulsive minds

I see them in the candy stores

With there sugar sweet smiles

I see them in the theaters

Laughing running feeling free

I see them in the parks with there

Machine gun counter parts

Pulling the trigger

Of make believe death

Their youngness on a fine line with madness

And then they arise to sip one more dose of time

They grab there bowels and cereals

And its on to the channels there gods

To get them on their way

And as the milk pours on

Snap crackle rata tat tat

They sit mesmerized peering through dizzy land eyes

As the shown the beauties of violence and war

Then a sound is at the door

Mother is home

As she walks in

And says “how are my troops today”?

This piece was quoted to Jane Fonda while I was carrying her bags out to the waiting limo, to take her

to the airport after doing at talk for a women’s group at the El Dorado hotel in Santa Fe NM.

Earlier that day while working at the hotel I ran into a friend I had not seen for a while

She told me that she had brought Jane Fonda to do a talk, I mentioned that I would like

To meet her, being a Viet Nam vet I felt she had gotten a bad rap during the war.

I meet them both coming out of the elevator, my friend introduced me and mentioned

That I was a poet Jane said can you quote me a piece as the piece came to its final

I opened the door to the limo she looked at me and said “What a send off”! I said “bye Jane”.