End Police, With the Utmost Respect for Farmers

End Police, With the Utmost Respect for Farmers

Perhaps you won’t believe it
Incredulous as you are
But my father’s father fought
In the army of the Tsar

In 1916 he deserted
And would’ve been caught, and shot
Lucky for us, though,

Before they could get him

The empire vanished — ha ha

In 1921, with his mother and his pop,
He took a boat across the sea
And they lived in the slum
On East 9th and D
And now it’s been a century

The War to End All Wars may be approaching
Its finale
The great disease will lose
Its fearful character, finally
And turn into radical ease
But let’s not haste and waste,
Skip steps,
In order to rest let’s,
Among other things, abolish police
Let them be gardeners, or farmers,
Not pigs

Elliot Sperber is a writer, attorney, and adjunct professor. He lives in New York City and can be reached at elliot.sperber@gmail.com and on twitter @elliot_sperber