scenes from the next century

the politician fixes his lie
the spokesman fixes his tie

the musician plays her chords
the construction-man nails his boards

businessmen launch into space
over-proud nations find a new race

the artillery officer neatly salutes
the philosopher neatly refutes

the young girls suck lolli-pops
the older woman shops
for tops, pacifiers, and mops

the judge hands down the sentence
while the pusher plies repentance

magazines sing glossy praises of tools
to readerships of fools

the psychologist smokes his cigar
while the hoodlum cases his car

the conscience-man does his good deed
the gardener pulls her bad weed

the robot fixes the latte
while the newly-weds get naughty

school-children learn how to behave
while the old drinker digs a new grave