Paul Cannon

Hypocrisy is back in fashion
you can deny everything
is that why,
ironically (of course),
you decided to enact your
project 1930s redux
immigration rules,
a phrenologist’s wet dream
a clansman’s hard-on,
a dixie wish
white rich nationalists only,
toxic masculinity preferenced
women and children as
rape toys
ethnicity as denial,
separating
murdering
maiming
maligning
gulagging,
boundaries locked and loaded
for privilege,
every day I search
for your obituary.

Paul Cannon is a poet and writer from Western Australia who lives in the south-west corner at a place called Augusta with wife Lyn. Paul has a background in philosophy and theology, and he works occasionally as a spiritual director or companion. He loves creativity, nature, meditation, and is committed to non-violence. Paul’s poetry is all about asking questions, social justice, evoking experiences, stirring hearts, and trying to be a better self.

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.