body politic
noun : (1) human organ of many heads ;
tongues swarming from them [ as in, unison
of insects ] ; hands, tangled beds of nails on
which to rest evenly so as to spread
weight, pressure without injury : (2) threat
posed by ground swellings ; manifestation
of projected intent to harm [ as in,
the body of our enemy is dead,
but not his intention ] : (3) the myth of
history (archaic) [ ‘twas his own love
that killed this shepherd, not our need to kill,
and we remain innocent ] ; public will ;
institutionally anointed gore
to ensure death passes over our door
This poem was originally published in 21 Stars Review, No. 4, in February 2007
Alison Leigh Lilly 