The clutching of hands
in the high castle,
a presidential pen
running over
a piece of
watermarked
paper,
blue ink
etched
in the form of a
signature,
the Department
of Homeland Security,
established
in 2003.
America,
is this your
war on terror?

He's pouring Bengali tea
in the Lincoln bedroom
while watching
a talking head
on Fox News
telling him
exactly
what he wants
to hear,
but Minneapolis
you are
a dragon
that breathes
fire.

Was it Jesse Jackson
who said
that Reagan won
on the margin
of despair?
That Reagan won
Massachusetts
by merely
2500 votes
while there were
50,000 students
unregistered to vote,
David versus Goliath,
with 50,000
rocks
just lying around.

Taking a sip
from that very same tea
in the very same
Lincoln bedroom,
mirrors of gold,
curtains of silk,
there's a new man
living
in the high castle,
but Minneapolis,
you are
a dragon
that breathes
fire.

Octavia Butler
asked the question
of how one should
reconcile
that which you can't
and the answer is
that you step out
into the streets,
Minneapolis,
you are
a dragon
that breathes
fire.

Tom Morello said
that the future
of U.S. democracy
will not be decided
in the courts,
will not be decided
in Congress,
will not be decided
in the Lincoln bedroom.

It will be decided
in the streets
of Atlanta,
the streets
of Philadelphia,
the streets
of Phoenix,
and the streets
of Minneapolis.

So,
Minneapolis,
the reason
you are
melting
ice
is because
you are
a proud
Midwestern
dragon
that breathes
fire.