(spam poem by Edward Desautels)

we’d saved our lives more than once
by degrees we came to understand
arithmetical problems
and the drawn white faces

crawling on hands and knees
sentenced and banished like Vallandigham
we groped about
to please our counsel

“we want to make a very careful choice”
“we want to comment upon evidence”
“we want our candidate to reign”
“for one minute, we want to take our share”

misled by friends
stretched by the generals and the party
we begged the inspector
for commute or stay

how sad the pallor
that spread over faces and necks
suspended in our isinglass
we longed for rest