NINETY-NINE PERCENT OF AMERICANS

  Ninety-nine percent of Americans,
  Ninety-nine percent of Iraqis
  Still feel safety and comfort in numbers,
  In the virtues of numbing statistics.
  In the silence of my nonexistence
  I had time to reflect and I wondered
  What it means as I looked out the window
  At the barren, sad landscape before me.
  Someone said: "It's the economy, stupid!
  It's the chemical weapons we're after!"
  And I couldn't help myself, darling,
  Breaking down in tears and laughter.
  What on earth does it mean, my darling?--
  This sad world with its hollow leaders,
  Who get blow jobs, blowing up others,
  And whose job is to put on a show--
  A great Oscar-winning performance,
  Reminiscent of president Reagan--
  Are we really better off lately?
  Is there something rotten in Denmark?
  Yes, I know it will pass and tomorrow
  I'll drink one more beer and wonder
  What's that noise that I heard
  In the headlines,
  In the headlines that only lead us
  To the question:
  Does anyone care?

                                February 13, 1998
                             --Alexander Shaumyan