Nuclear Dust

“Do you believe in nuclear dust?”

It does not matter

I am only obliged to imitate an ordinary person

Who believes in it, and has passionately, clumsily

Articulated sentiments regarding it

What it happens to be is immaterial

My obligation is to sell it, or a way of thinking and feeling

About it

It could be a luxury condominium, or vehement opposition

To abortion, or gay marriage, or public education

It could be irrational enthusiasm for war

It does not matter who the winner is

It matters only that she is beautiful and willing

To act as if she does not find me odious and contemptible

For as long as we both shall be bound by the terms of this

Contract, which will move a lot of money around, in time

The giver and the receiver will be identified

By means of evidence of minor breaches

Only so many can be ignored

We sleep separately, now

It does not matter who the mark is

It matters only that the mark is a mark

If I use hatred of the mark

To persuade other marks to warm to their roles

And the mark remains a mark

I have a convert

I have a plaything

I have a sort of slave, really, though I know that’s not

Politically correct

But the bottom line is, you have something to sell

You need the mark to buy it

You could reason with the mark, of course

Evidence, logic, prudence, justice

You could do it that way

But it’s so hard, so complicated

Just figure out a way

To persuade the mark

It doesn’t have to be beautiful, if it works

Don’t be too concerned about the “truth,”

You and I both know, it probably isn’t good

It’s all in the pitch

By the time they realize

What they bought

How broken, and ugly, and useless it is

You will have skipped town with the loot

It’s the greatest con job in the world

Messing with heads for fun and profit

Nuclear dust

Do you hear yourself?

Wise up