Portside

Deux ex Machina

By Sandra Anfang

Chuck and Nancy
came in good faith
as if they could reason
with the demagogue
the would-be hierophant
the narcissist on his golden tweet commode.

They came in good faith
doing what in any normal time
would be business as usual
but the Democrats mocked them
and turned their faces
and the Republicans quaked in their patent-leather loafers.

The emperor wined and dined them
on Chinese takeout (for diversity)
and flashed his new silk suit
the "made in China" label mugging from his tie;
they kept their cool
and shook their heads in quick assent.

Chuck and Nancy
came in good faith
to meet with the hierophant
and cut a deal
on the golden throne
for the Dreamers' sake.

They played it cool--
it was business as usual--
but when they took a closer look
they noticed
the emperor
had no clothes.

Sandra Anfang is a poet and visual artist who lives in northern California.
Her poems have been published in numerous journals, including Spillway and Rattle. Her chapbook, Looking Glass Heart, was published by Finishing Line Press in 2016. A second chapbook, Road Worrier: Poems of the Inner and Outer Landscape, is forthcoming from the same publisher. Sandra is a California Poet/Teacher in the Schools and hosts a monthly poetry reading in Petaluma (Sonoma County).
www.facebook.com/RivertownPoetsAMuseingMondays