Poem for Mr. Apology

If everyone takes 

More than a little 

Whatever remains 

Must sustain 

Those left behind 

For Tahnee 

Among others 

Following in your footsteps 

While out for midnight 

Postering 

Attention blue 

And white collar criminals 

Attention you cheats and frauds 

Attention sex workers 

And pleasure seekers 

Those with long drawn faces 

And with smirking smiles 

For ordinary people 

With extraordinary 

Secrets and regrets 

Locked in silence 

Most of the time 

Not to speak 

With mournful voice 

But seriously inclined 

While riddled with joy 

In celebration of the 

Perverse logic of  

Humankind

Being one-half animal 

And the other half god 

We can and must 

Figure this out 

As best we can 

It could be far worse 

Much worse after all 

As we are inevitably 

Destined for decline

From bombs 

In the basement 

Well accomplished 

From first to last 

At every art he tried 

Of figure study in the studio 

With daylight shaft 

Piercing the interior 

On the farther South Side 

To know art 

Is to know being 

Both possible 

And palpable 

Everywhere 

All of the time 

But for now 

Read these block letters 

As I know you can 

And rejoice in your 

Exalted position 

Atop the food chain 

And please try to think 

And begin to explain

Both about what you ate 

To get where you are 

And what’s eating you 

That’s right 

My beloveds 

Every last one 

Of the great unwashed 

Urban scum 

Just call Mr. Apology 

And let him help you 

Lay it out on the line