Charles Rammelkamp

(F)ELON

His henchmen something like Alex and his droogs
from A Clockwork Orange,
marching into government offices,
ransacking electronic payment programs,
stealing sensitive personal information–
the classic image of “jack-booted thugs”–
the only thing missing,
the classical music soundtrack
while they pillage the federal bureaucracy.

In his tee-shirts, dark jackets, and pompadour
Musk, the perfect image of a punk gangleader,
doing all the things
the rightwing accuses George Soros ofand more.
But he has the godfather’s blessing,
and he gets away with it all,
the real felon in charge turning a blind eye
while the courts and legislature flail about,
hair on fire with cries of “constitutional crisis.”


Charles' YouTube reading of "(f)Elon"


Charles confesses: "I worked at the Social Security Administration for years. I feel so sorry for the people I used to work with, the anxiety and stress the oligarchs are putting them through. I’m also glad I don’t have to endure any of that personally. Life is complicated enough without the "Department of Government Efficiency” trying to take control."

CHARLES RAMMELKAMP is Prose Editor for BrickHouse Books in Baltimore. His poetry collection, A Magician Among the Spirits, poems about Harry Houdini, is a 2022 Blue Light Press Poetry winner. A collection of poems and flash called See What I Mean? was recently published by Kelsay Books, and another collection of persona poems and dramatic monologues involving burlesque stars, The Trapeze of Your Flesh, was recently published by BlazeVOX Books.