In a Lie

There is a certain amount of planning in a lie,

To prevent revealing how or why,

So I only shake my head and laugh.

I know why presidents have staff:

To reassure the voters, financiers,

That war won't take so many years

As the last, with concentration and support,

and then to help the truth distort

So, when it's convenient, another starts,

Or to convince my bleeding heart

That I should place my “hope” in “change,”

In seeing deck chairs rearranged.

The rich have pull; the rest have not;

The pols have staff; that's all I've got.