Against Empire

The human need to blame
Rises in the words’ throats,
Not a substance, a ghost,

A backward, haunting thing.
It mutters to itself.
Voices of words themselves

Wish to clear this catarrh
Of raw desire to blame
Something, preferably

A nameable human
Collection of humans,
But anything will do.

When no other humans
Can be easily blamed,
Humans will blame the world

As desperately as snakes
Will mate with snake-like things,
As frogs will gather round

Loudspeaker recordings
Of long-ago croaking.
Meaning and blame, meaning

And blame, humans need them,
But meanings don’t need blame,
We only need humans.

We will trick everyone,
Striking down the empire
Of blame by blaming it.