Whisper in a Wind Tunnel
(an experiment in rhymed free verse or, "anti-verse")

A Russian statesman gave a speech
about his country’s borders,
both calm and steely,
not in any way an attempt to lecture or preach.
Unlike the Western response: a howling, caterwauling screech
directed at Vladimir Putin whom the United States absolutely detests
for not betraying his country to
Shock Doctrine billionaires, those who
insist their “requests”
are really
orders.