The Bullet is Not a Vote by Brandon Cesmat

In the Juniper Junction men’s room, 
graffiti documents the running battle 
between The New World Order and  
The Illuminati, prices of soy beans 
dropping and all that. 
 
Critics--anonymous because conspiracies 
scare the shit out of them—have chosen this wall 
in this spot of Satanic California, 
where cellphone coverage is iffy. 
It’s a safe place to tell it like it really is. 
Had bin Laden lived here, he’d still be calling the shots. 
 
Of course bin Laden was a NWO construct 
by GWB or Obama, what’s the big dif?  
 
The National Park Service puts “Modoc”  
in the face of patriots everyday, and  
even Juniper Junction has a new policy on ammo sales. 
Put that on the bathroom wall: 
“crisis actors clerk @ Juniper Junction. 
NWO on the other side of this wall, closing in. 
The State of Jefferson must secede now!” 
 
Meanwhile, votes drop in boxes 
like sycamore leaves conspiring with one  
more November. The sagebrush rebels  
would burn the forest down if they didn’t  
need trees to run to for cover.   

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Brandon Cesmat books include When Pigs Fall in Love & Other Stories, Light in All Directions and Driven into the Shade. When he isn’t lost among the oaks & boulders of the high desert, Cesmat teaches literature & writing at CSU San Marcos and curates the Cinema Series for the Carlsbad Library. His album of original music Califor-Noir is forthcoming.  ​