CIA Headquarters

France Mac

An erasure of Donald Trump’s remarks on January 21, 2017

stop

there is nobody
there is nobody behind
the so much we need
we will not ask
you to raise your hands
we are all we took
wars for wars
restrained we rid
yesterday of the other

you understand what happened
something nobody time
a certain everybody
to cancel
little games with night

imagine the world thrilled
a star to lose
winning young
winning things
the spoils:
oil oil
reasons oil money
oil oil

believe us
don’t think
of havoc and fear
this sick human feud
exactly the opposite
exactly empty
a minute where nobody
stands scared

god started it
the truth
sunny and honest
monument and mistake
this field of all
we caught
a price the beautiful
kings like us
take back

history a cover
to be broken
time a line
to even

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Frances Mac hails from the Texas Hill Country and currently lives in Washington, DC. Her poems have appeared or are forthcoming in The MacGuffin, Santa Clara Review, Lammergeier, Lily Poetry Review, and others. “CIA Headquarters” and “4th of July Military Appreciation Event” are part of a book-length collection examining truth-telling in politics through erasures of Donald Trump's remarks and statements. Learn more about her work at www.francesmacpoetry.com.