A ragged D.C. sunset 

brought the promise of fellowship.
Booze took care of the rest.
They gathered online,

spewing conspiracy theories and hate –
before marching down Constitution Avenue.
Their purpose? to inspire fear.
of the unknown, of novelty,
of progress.
But what they really feared
were the faces beneath the cloth.
The sins that no time on their knees
ever seemed to wash away.
Yet, like dogs
devouring their own vomit,
they always have a stomach for more.

Josh Jennings lives in rural South Carolina, where he teaches high school English. He currently is pursuing a doctoral degree at the University of South Carolina. His poetry has appeared in journals such as The Whispering Prairie Press, The Pangolin Review, and The Penman Review.