America, keep the Change

"You kill yourself to get to the grave before you even die, and the name of that grave is 'success', the name of that grave is hullaballoo boomboom horseshit." - Jack Kerouac


America, Ginsberg's dead and I lost my place in my book
because I was thinking about January 17, 1956 when
things were just about the same as they are now
America, you gave me a six year edificiation, education,
now I'm living with my parents again because
I keep seeing the ghosts of my grandparents
and they're saying things ain't so good
America, Ann Arbor, State Street, you make
me barf in my book bag, has it come to this?
You pave paradise and put up a new restaurant
called Quickie Burger and paint a sign with an Amazon woman
riding that sandwich spread eagle with a beer in her hand
America, give me some paint cans
I want to undo what you've done
Give that gal a burqa and a diploma and the Holy Grail
America, keep your amber fields and your homeland security
and your Clintons and Obamas and McCains and McDonalds
I'm gonna vote for the one who quotes Kerouac
America, you're not worthy of your own poets
America, if they could see you now
America, keep your fame-seekers framing
self-portraits as Christmas presents, tell him
to stay in bed and talk to Jesus
and maybe you should, too, America
stop spitting in your own eye
Or just blow yourself up already
I'll be in Germany, maybe
with my baby