Failure to Respond Will Be Taken as a Resignation
A Poem or Rant in Protest of American Fascists
You can call this a poem or a rant, or whatever you wish.
What Did You Do Last Week? “Please reply to this email with approx. 5 bullets of what you accomplished last week and cc your manager.” — language from an email sent by Elon Musk to federal employees, according to USA Today. “Failure to respond,” he said on X, “will be taken as a resignation." What I did is none of your business, Mr. Musk, but since you asked I graded several assignments but lagged on several others. Picked up my guitar but didn’t play Took dad to the doctor Folded the clothes and made the bed. I turned up the volume on Muddy Waters’ “Mannish Boy” Watched the deer pick premature buds from trees in the yard Counted the veins on the rind of the cantaloupe on the counter Listened to the BBC. I walked the dog with Annie on a day that was surprisingly warm and clear Discussed union business and plotted against the government Answered a Jeopardy! question and got others wrong Rewatched The Blues Brothers and hated “Illinois Nazis.” I read the Times and the Washington Post Made a sandwich (turkey with mozzarella and roasted red peppers) Asked a question that had no answer Thought about Heschel’s definition of the ineffable. Interviewed a migrant advocate Failed to call my congresswoman Reread Howard Zinn with a critical eye and a heavy heart Cried when I watched the ABC Nightly News. I wrote a sonnet, tore it up and tossed it the air, watching it float away like leaves Penned an angry letter to the moon Swerved around a skunk carcass sprawled on the yellow line running down the center of Huntington Street Met with a student about her story’s lede Danced on the head of a pin. I cut the cantaloupe into small chunks and mixed it with blueberries and strawberries Took out the recycling and trash Used our last egg to make a turkey meatloaf Watched water boil. All the while, Mr. Musk, damning your chain saw and false bravado, your boss and his sycophants, wondering just how long this republic can stand and when they might come for me.