The prison system needs reform
The prisoners are reading books on astral travel
Leaving their cells to commit heinous crimes
Unfettered by bodies
Amoral souls hurtling through space, through shining nebulae
***
The city streets are being paved with gold
Workers resort to low-grade asphalt when the money runs out
They only get to two streets
Coincidentally home to prominent politicians
They are now skipping council meetings
To skate with buffers attached to their shoes
They do not stop until the roads are blinding
They have put forth a resolution to change the streets’
Names to Shangri-La and Brigadoon
***
The CIA carry two cellular phones
One tuned into interstellar frequencies
The signal is clearest while driving through Four Corners
Ask them–they will deny it
Swallowing whole restaurant napkins
Filled with memorized hieroglyphs
***
And trucks are crossing every border
Men, women and children are hidden beneath the floorboards
Like contraband limes, or weapons
Their faces are shining with hope
They will later use minimum-wage jobs
To fund military juntas in places with names
Like Guanajuato and Oaxaca
***
Yes, this is where your taxes are going
There is no pie-chart on your paycheck
Breaking these things down
Only deduction after deduction
You feel it slipping away
You feel yourself slipping away
Waiting for your return
–Sarah Torribio
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