Poetry

AP photo

By

Alejandro Escudé

Oracle

the funhouse mirrors of society

show viewpoints that warp truth

so that one just stands there lost

the mirrors tell us he can’t say that

after he said it the mirrors tell us

she can’t do that after she’s done it

these are the mirrors that show us

nuclear war is on the brink while

the war has already passed or

that the war is a last resort while

it’s a certainty there are mirrors

that don’t show anything at all

a swirling cloud like in cartoons

before the witch’s face appears

to reveal prophesy but there’s no

revelation only another ad for a

stance one can’t prove or disprove

then a blinding light that ends it

Alejandro Escudé

Alejandro Escudé’s first book of poems, My Earthbound Eye, was published in September 2013. He holds a master’s degree in creative writing from UC Davis and teaches English. Originally from Argentina, Alejandro lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.