Eileen ike West

To he, who just understands the ‘dumb’
At the end of free-dom,
Let me tell you:
Only TV cop shows start with dumb-dumb,
Not real life.
So please, pass seven new letters,
And let’s put back on the board,
The full word, F-R-E-E-D-O-M.
As is, the game seems mighty rigged
Against the main.

While we’re at it, let’s wipe the slate clear
Of the word, S-N-O-O-Z-E-S.
Too many government rep’s put that up
At the start of this game’s round,
And stick to it religiously.
Please, somebody poke these bears,
Blow off those useless letters,
Replacing the lot with: W-A-K-E-U-P-N-O-W
G-E-T-O-F-F-D-U-F-F-S
And D-O-Y-O-U-R-W-O-R-K.

The last—and definitely most urgent—reboot of the game,
Let’s dump D-O-J I-C-E agents’ goals in winning,
Basically, their horrific play of choice,
“Screw everyone who’s not us—jail and deport the lot.”
Make good on an exit strategy for the turns ahead,
Change the game completely.
In the D-O-J I-C-E column, throw out the old,
Draw completely new letters, like
W-E S-T-O-P V-I-O-L-A-T-I-N-G
And, let the final draw guarantee words such as
N-O-W A-N-D F-O-R-E-V-E-R.

Such great plays assure we get F-R-E-E
Back in front of D-O-M,
Quitting the president’s dumb-dumb
And more dumb actions.
FREEDOM, not just a word, but an ideal to treasure.

Give every American forced to play your games
Fifty points, and 200 dollars.
Then, absolutely, press in the hand of each detainee,
A get out of jail free card.
Ensure, not only government game hosts,
but all people are winners.

Eileen ike West, MA, is an international teacher and writer featured in Susan Smit’s Wise Women (NL, 2003) and Susan Taylor’s Sexual Radiance (US, 1998). Across decades, West’s essays have liberally sprinkled magazines and other publications in the US, UK, and EU. Samples are available at ikewest.com. West’s first poetry collection, Whistler of Petty Crimes (2023), and her earlier novels, Away from Hannah’s Castle (US/NL, 2006) and Another Giant World (UK, 2018), are available through various outlets. West is a contributor in all three of The Chaos Section Poetry Project’s publications to date.

This poem appears in Uprooted: Poems of Resistance, Witness, and Survival (The Chaos Section Poetry Project, Fall 2026). We’re sharing each poem from the collection individually over the coming weeks. You can read the full book or download the free PDF here.