A
Lesson in Civics
(on the U.S. presidential election contest of 2000)
"Chosen by God," said a preaching man
Of a president's selection,
As if the Chief of Heaven cared
To meddle with man's election.
"Chosen by the people," said the justice men
Of a supreme court's quick decree
Without regard to the Court of Heaven
Where all shall bow the knee.
Is it possible the gods should pause
From supping
nectar and wine
To descend down Jacob's ladder
And spirit with flesh entwine?
Or break from battle when Satan's afoot
In mortal squabbles to engage,
When there are fiends to put to flight
And Heaven's war to wage?
Do they not rather they see this play
As a comedy or farce
To laugh themselves to scorn withal
And the ambrosial popcorn pass?
Act One contains the electoral race
With promises, appearance, debate,
Each candidate vowing he is fit
To seal the country's fate.
Act Two involves the polling booths
To state a preference
As if holes punched in silly cards
Could make a difference.
Act Three, we wait with bated breath
The great result to hear:
Who shall ascend the podium
To crown his public career?
Act Four portrays the comedy of errors
As counties scramble to recount
And lawyers rush to stop and start
The ballots as they mount.
Act Five's the denouement:
Who holds the reins of power?
In court-enforced supremacy,
Impartiality to sour.
And now the curtain falls
To dull-eyed limp applause,
The players go back to their dressing rooms,
Their booze, their money, their whores.
With languid laughter the gods raise a toast,
Once more the popcorn pass,
And commenting on what they saw,
Converse in garrulous gas.
But what of us, who dwell on earth,
In democracy delight,
Who thought naïvely in our hearts, the fate
Of a nation was riding that night?
Peering through that southern keyhole
Our country closely looks
To find within our halls of power
They're busy cooking the books.
This splendid little skirmish
Was hardly a holy war,
But merely the ponderous pachyderm
At odds with the asinine bore.
Thus while each candidate
Proclaims electoral appeal
And just to show he means it
Resorts to court appeal,
God muses from His hallowed throne,
Laughs deeply in his throat:
"I'll send you all to electoral college
And teach you how to vote."
December 2000
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