the new Cassandra

like the tragic prophet of Grecian fame
a woman so visionary she was insane
cursed with ears kissed by snakes
oil in the water and she got blamed
here at the siege of the western gates
like her we can only scream and wait
sitting high in our flameless cells
lit aglow by our blue-light jails
witnesses to conspiracy and crime
tamed by fear too terrible to mind
friends, neighbors, country people
lend me your eyes, search the rubble
what will you find, whom will you spy
what will you torch in the dead of night

“keep, history, your signs and stories
your pages, volumes, and reams,“ cry we
“hurried masses yearning to break free
feed me with glee, disrupt my memory
give me your tired takes, your pores
give me your moments short but core
with a wretched meme for every score
like refuse teeming from sea to shore
outrageous, outraged, pretty, petty,
mean — send them, send them all to me!
that will never be me! — I snort —
then lift my golden phone more, more.”

Cassandra looking down is mighty proud
no judgment — we are all Cassandra now