Love It or Leave It

Craig Kurtz · Love It or Leave It

 

^{The planet is big, no one would deny —}

^{there’s not much contention, we own all the sky;}

^{look up and see Venus, you’ll also see Mars —}

^{well, most of those lights, they’re certainly ours;}

^{the moons and the asteroid belts we all own —}

^{our Manifest Destiny’s pretty well known;}

^{so, here’s my advice if you've got a complaint —}

^{forget your protest and your can of spray paint;}

^{disregard your petition to the law of the land,}

^{abandon the thought of taking a stand;}

^{neglect any chance of winning in court —}

^{that winning’s reserved for the better sort;}

^{take my advice and sell yourself short —}

^{just call it a day and get out your passport;}

^{there’s got to be tickets that you can purchase}

^{to get your ass off Earth to some small abyss;}

^{some rock that is floating around in deep space,}

^{some universe where they will welcome your face;}

^{but here on this planet, your credit is through —}

^{surely you don’t want another tattoo;}

^{‘Love it or leave it, get out of the way’ —}

^{isn’t that what all conquerors say?}

 

“‘Is it insane?’" Rachmael said.‘To believe, first, that some unhappy persons must be stuck at Whale’s Mouth . . . and yet we’re not hearing, via THL’s monopoly of all info media, all energy, passing back this way. And, second . . .’” —Philip K. Dick, Lies, Inc.

 

^{Text, narration, editing & production © 2020 C. Kurtz. Audio originally broadcast by North Dakota Quarterly winter 2021.}