Verses from stories by Rod Nordland, Rachel Nuwer, and Gerry Shih.

Rod Nordland. NYT.

US FLUSHES TRILLIONS DOWN THE

AFGHAN TOILET

@rodnordland

Watsa couple trillion

when it comes to waging war?

Afghanistan is learning

they can ask for more and more.

The Pentagon's addicted to

success at any price;

Kabul just chuckles softly,

cuz they got us in their vice.

The money that we've spent

with no results is sure immense;

Trump could sure have used it all

to build his stupid fence!

*************************

WILL THE CHINESE BUY ARTIFICIAL

RHINO HORN?

@RachelNuwer

Were I to live in old Shanghai,

fake rhino horn I would not buy.

Although Armani knockoffs would

be completely understood.

But when it comes to potency,

I would not take a wannabe.

So if the rhino goes kaput,

just splice some genes for a reboot!

***************************

BOOK BURNING IN CHINA FOR

FUN AND PROFIT.

@gerryshih

How I love the smell of burning books upon the air!

The Chinese do it constantly with lots of Asian flair.

Their libraries think fealty to Mao and all his kin

is demonstrated best by burning books with happy grin.

As the words go up in flames I know that better days

are coming as religious texts are fed into the blaze!