Polishing Hinges and Hangers

Over the transom manuscripts flow,
like the oil, flowing from the epicenter.
Writers write, the words come,
full of dull essays on unallotment.
A red line underneath, (a misspelling) as I type,
Microsoft Word 2003 gawks at the use.
Budget woes for the state of Minnesota, the University,
some lawsuits, people, etc.

News diffusion and 2.3 gallons per second ooze concurrently.
In the time it takes to read this, maybe fifteen seconds,
Minnesota Public Radio goes on and on about Pawlenty,
fish die, crabs quit crawling, shrimp shrivel and most of us
would have excess fuel spilling all over the concrete,
listening to the words on the radio humming above the BP station,
trying to galvanize our placation.