Warning Label
by Marco Katz Montiel / August 16th, 2026
Founded on a revolution,
Its history teaches
Social justice and radical
Transformation. Speeches
That declare everyone equal
And go on to affirm
The need for transformatory
Acts to make the king squirm.
Now the man who admires kings
But can never be one
Helps promote the Smithsonian
By pretending to shun
All the museum’s exhibits
Focused on history,
Acting as if our best lessons
Would lead to misery.
The Smithsonian should thank him
For posting like a troll:
Remember what warning labels
Once did for rock ’n roll.
*****
See: “Trump orders signs placed outside Smithsonian museum warning of ‘inaccurate’ information” by Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 24 July 2026.
Marco Katz Montiel composes poetry and prose in Spanish, English, and musical notes. He went to college late, and then alienated one university by publishing about bigotry on campus and got kicked to the curb by two others for his union activities. Still, Marco managed to graduate and even publish a book on music and literature with Palgrave. His essays, poems, and stories appear in
Ploughshares,
Jerry Jazz Music,
English Studies in Latin America,
Copihue Poetry,
Camino Real,
WestWard Quarterly,
Lowestoft Chronicle,
Dissident Voice, and in the anthologies
Cartas de desamor y otras adicciones,
There’s No Place, and the
Capital City Press Anthology.
Read other articles by Marco Katz, or
visit Marco Katz's website.
This article was posted on Sunday, August 16th, 2026 at 8:00am and is filed under Poetry.
