Postmodern Blues

as the century ends and
tradition turns in on itself
as Boulez screams and yells
his music is put on the shelf
repetition is back,
a rose is a rose, said herself
Bill Gates has won
i've got the postmodern blues

1900 began the obsession
with function as form
with a hammer and nail and a
paintbrush and camera
they storm
in Russia and Bolsheviks
conquer, the masses want
more
Karl Marx has gone
i've got the postmodern blues

line is fragmented, Isadora
invented modern dance
philosophers ponder while
communists squander their
chance
illusion is captured in
Cubism's reign over france
Picasso's gone
i've got the postmodern blues

the stock market rallies as
futures are tallied and sold
pensions are raided and
parachutes painted in gold
conformism packaged to save
us all from the cold
Cezanne is gone
i've got the postmodern blues