<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><p class="" style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(96, 96, 96); line-height: 21px;"><span class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class=""><span class="">Government</span></span></span></p><p class="" style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(96, 96, 96); line-height: 21px;"><span class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="">Standing next to my old friend<br class=""> I sense that his soldiers have retreated.<br class="">And mine?<br class="">They're resting their guns on their shoulders,<br class="">Talking quietly.<br class="">"I'm hungry," one says.<br class="">"Cheeseburger," says another.<br class="">And they all decide to go and find some dinner.</span></span></p><p class="" style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(96, 96, 96); line-height: 21px;"><span class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="">But the next day,<br class="">negotiating the too narrow aisles at the Health and Harmony Food Store,<br class="">when I say, "Excuse me" to the woman and her cart of organic chicken<br class="">and green grapes,<br class="">she pulls her cart not quite far back enough for me to pass,<br class="">and a small mob in me begins to pick up the fruit to throw.</span></span></p><p class="" style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(96, 96, 96); line-height: 21px;"><span class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="">So many kingdoms, and in each kingdom<br class="">So many people:<br class="">The disinherited son, the corrupt counselor, the courtesan, the fool.<br class="">And so many gods arguing among themselves over toast,<br class="">through the lunch salad,<br class="">and on into the long hours of the mild spring afternoon.<br class="">"I'm the god."<br class="">"No, I'm the god."<br class="">"No, I'm the god!"</span></span></p><p class="" style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(96, 96, 96); line-height: 21px;"><span class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="">I can hardly hear myself over their muttering.<br class="">How can I discipline my army?<br class="">They're exhausted and want more money.<br class="">How can I disarm when my enemies seem so intent?</span></span></p><p class="" style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(96, 96, 96); line-height: 21px;"><span class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class=""><span class=""> - Marie Howe</span></span></span></p></body></html>