FLASHBACK: In Our Land of Oz

Tin Man leads Scarecrow
on the Yellow Brick Road
strolling, rolling always on the go
Dorothy in the sweetness of her teens
Oh if only you could know
what lurks between the obscenes
Tin Man cruel and vile
Scarecrow in constant denial
as the vibrant, virgin whore
poses for a camera flash
Rolling Stone defines the score
and they pay you off in cash
on the Yellow Brick Road

Tin Man calculates psychological illusion
Scarecrow charges blindly as he pathetically screams
as Dorothy, she softly dreams
for some way out of innocent confusion
and Lions in Masses abound
quiet as cowardly mice making no sound
as Oz sits upon the throne
and my has apathy grown
and Scarecrow is clinically insane
intoxicating using anything for the pain
on the Yellow Brick Road

Oz’s voice thunders above the crowd
who cares what he says itís plenty loud
Tin Man silently, privately laments
depraved darkness with vampiric desire
no heart, no soul, to kindle any fire
a strict rule, nobody repents
on the Yellow Brick Road

Ruby Red Slippers click, click, click, three times
if youíre the Law you can commit no crimes
and Chief Joseph laughs in most bitter tears
Oz is far worse than any of his fears
Dorothy lip syncs and gets the lyrics wrong
while Hopi dance singing tomorrow’s song
ask Langston Hughes when it will explode
on the Yellow Brick Road

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John Kaniecki’s poetry book, Murmurings of a Mad Man, was published by eLectio Publishing. He’s secretary of Rhyming Poets International and a member of Revolutionary Poet’s Brigade.