A WALL

by LaRue Watts

A wall can keep you safe inside.

A wall provides a place to hide.

A wall may keep a foe at bay,

A wall can host what posters say. 

But walls were meant for ivy climbing

And walls were meant to use in miming. 

So, why a wall that only states
Our land is full, there are no gates?

Why not a wall with "Have no fear,
Your tired, your poor are welcome here."
Build in an arch that opens wide
And welcomes all to come inside.
Become a wall flower, leave a mark.
Let wall weeds wither in the dark.

ELECTION

By LaRue Watts

The animals had an election
To see who would lead them all
It was quite an enormous selection
Of creatures who'd heeded the call.
While many were fond of the lion,
The eagle and stallion did well.
And even the turtle was tryin'
To sell what he had in his shell.
The front runners had a debate
Which narrowed the field by a few
Who argued on matters of state
And turned it all into a zoo.

Now, animal nature is funny,
So two votes were cast for the monk
While three were assigned to the bunny,
The most voters went for the skunk.
When some species spoke of rebellion and such
Impeachment was bandied about
The owl wisely said "You're all out of touch
But I have figured it out.
And what do I say to each one of you
That some will surely find strange?
I think that the simplest thing we can do
Is pray for the winds of change."