the ghost shirt society in poetry

We need gods of instructive chaos.
We need goddesses of didactic mischief.
An army of Brother and Sister Coyotes
to push back at all of these Lokii.

Jests that teach
pranks that preach
because telling someone that something
is bad has never worked nearly as much
as showing them how a thing’s stupid.
Arrows of satire like
some kind of cockeyed Cupid.

When someone laughs
their consciousness cracks
that’s where the light can get in
so much better an engine of change
than telling them they’ve sinned.

Sister Coyote,
where have you been?
We need you more than ever.
The words have gotten nastier
even than the winter weather.
We need armour against the
evil deeds and the gaffes.
A protective coat of laughs.

We need to let the light in.