The role of government is to take away “no,”
leaving masses in the streets to chant,
“More war! More war!”,
leaving women to kneel and say “yes”
regardless of their hearts.
freeing lovers and children and friends
to call the police at will.  

The writer’s job is current truth,
which later the editor redacts,
the historian improves by deletion,
and the fireman washes in flame:  

All of these bathed in sound logic,
toweled dry with rough terry
and kissed on the cheek,
before slouching off to their dreams.