we do as we must until
>we die amanda clucked astride
her prancing pony watch her pride
as she guides its dance from side to
side and smiles wide
unblemished, bony wall of white

meanwhile in the stands her father
watches with his cronies talking man to
man about their business plans and
bulls and bears and your daughter is good and
who cares

he fingers his whiskers and says to his second in
command if you want to save society
listen to me
if you want to save society
you must sigh at god and weather the phony

just then at half
past ten amanda was thrown
by her bucking pony

John Boucher is a gay artist, writer, musician and filmmaker who holds a BA in Creative Writing and Film Production from the Evergreen State College, and an MFA in Creative Writing and Poetics from the University of Washington – Bothel. He lives in the Pacific Northwest, on the left coast of the United States.