Political voodoo

Poem I left unfinished in 2006, inspired by an article I read about poultry processing systems that automatically and hygienically 'process' (kill, pluck, skin, and cut up) up to 2.500 chickens an hour.

I.

Fat man chicken soul goes in a dark cloak
J. Edgar Hoover hunting witches at night
hunting lost chicken souls political voodoo
J. Edgar Hoover hates the communist party

This is the big machine here you are measured
headless dead chicken souls naked on hooks
chops off your chicken head sucks out your organs
shakes off your feathers evil communist gooks

Only blue light here chickens can’t see that
puts them to sleep while the fat man goes in a dark cloak
J. Edgar Hoover is the ghost in the machine

What is that lost soul over there that is your lost soul
that is your live heart held up to the sun

Fat man chicken soul political voodoo
here it is dark in the dark it is dark
red hot chicken soup comes out of the big machine
supermarket chicken wings and lost souls in tins

II.

Silence comes after. After the lost souls
have been sucked out and canned and shipped.
After the big machine
has gone through all our chicken shit.
After our days and deeds have been listed.

And in that silence
you will hear the sound of dead chickens chuckling.

III.

Headless chickens walking the earth again as if living
the giant frozen headless chicken
rising young and tall
from the open display fridge

Political voodoo will kick in your door
and the Jacobin army of chicken souls
wrapt in a dark cloak goes through the streets at night
looking for souls for sale bringing back lost souls

Communist gooks evil killers of men

Says the ghost in the machine and the dead chicken souls dance
to the star-spangled banner and the old rebel waltz
lost souls dancing on hooks in the puppet show
J. Edgar Hoover and the communist party

In the dark it is dark in the shadow of the big machine
it is dark in the dark night of the soul
there is music in the big machine
red hot chicken soup political voodoo