Casey Smith

A man behind me is screaming about the Constitution and the Bill of Rights

And he wants to put us in jail for some reason that eludes everyone

He is young maybe in his twenties with a trim build and a baseball cap

Without doubt he is convinced that he knows the truth

A police car its siren screaming speeds south on 3rd Street

Still the man behind me is screaming and becoming the background

He was more annoying five minutes ago now he is part of the scene

The American system is fucking lousy he screams

Well that’s one thing we can agree on

 

I’m about fifty feet away from the melting truth

Most people smile as they walk by

Some people stop to ask why melt truth

I throw the question back to them

What do you think I say what do you think abut the truth

Is the truth just one thing or is it sometimes other things

This is dangerous territory for reasons too obvious to elaborate

 

Marshall and Nora are talking to a person in an unmarked police car

Marshall holds his arm out to the north

I think it’s a battle of conflicting permits

Penske Truck Rental (yellow) is blocking the camera shot

I think Marshall and Nora won the argument

The truck is gone order is restored Marshall is laughing

 

Truth continues to melt even under the clouds

People come and go nobody speaks of Michaelangelo

Or growing old or wearing pants legs rolled

Truth as a photo-op a terrible beauty is born slouching

Just now I thought I saw Kellyanne Conway walking toward us

With great relief I discover my mistake

The fascination with what’s difficult

An ambulance its siren screaming speeds north on 3rd St

I continue typing and try to train my mind of the truth of poetry

 

For the last eight years or so I have been on a dilatory quest

To discover the Truth of Poetry

To be honest it started as a joke but a joke can morph into something else

In my case it has turned into an obsession this quixotic quest

The screaming man is back hooray the real truth is a fraud he tells us

And just like that he is gone not to return I say a secular prayer

 

Kids are more curious about the truth

They pull their parents toward the sculpture

Some people seem afraid of it

They keep their distance

Some people can’t handle the truth (sorry)

Marla came back to talk with Marshall on camera

I can’t hear what she’s saying but I know that she’s crushing it

Marla is not afraid of the truth

Isabella is a GW student majoring in Poli Sci with a minor in Journalism

She’s making a video for her editing class

Leslie just showed up and said How’s it going

She’s the next writer to take the keyboard

Mark is here now too

Gryphon is also here M’s kid he’s taking a photo now

And the sun is out now

My time behind the wheel winds down

Truth has been melting steadily for two hours

Yet it looks about the same

Change is gradual drip drip drip

My time is up drip drip drip

The wind blows everything off the table