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H. Arlequin
Member

since 1999-08-23

Posts 210

0 posted 2000-08-02 05:07 PM

Rhetoric

The man, all smiles and empty speech,
his glad hand aptly stock in trade,
as far as politicians go,
was not the worst. Too weak to teach,
not trained to work, he'd find the shade,
whose welcomed place the pampered know,

to spin a tale, enhance a lie
with cronies' eager ears atuned
to what would woo them from the sun
and toil. Once dark, with wits and rye
his gathered bon vivants communed
away the hours in raucous fun.

A Methodist by sprinkled vows
and parenthood, he was not lost
to churchly things, and Sunday's saw
his well filled family pew espouse
a faithfulness, of modest cost,
according to commandment law.

He viewed no conflict in himself,
it never crossed his mind, in fact,
that piety and politics
weren't equal jars upon the shelf
of one whose principles subtract
the screams of martyred heretics.

Vacations, the pulpit posed delight,
another chance for words to weave
a tapestry for captive eyes,
to bask as if the thoughts of right
and wrong were simple to believe
when oracles like him advise.

He was the entertainment, stage
and actors, too. At ninety-two
his curtain fell its final time
without an entry on the page
marked, "Deeds well done", listening to
himself a fruitless paradigm.

--HA
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Poems from the Goober Tree
http://nathoo.wustl.edu/goober_tree.htm

brian madden
Member Elite

since 2000-05-06

Posts 4374
ireland

1 posted 2000-08-02 05:15 PM

WOW a wonderful piece and a lot of food for thought. Much to ponder over.

"I am melancholy, flower cutting through stone"
manic street preachers

Nan

Administrator

Member Seraphic

since 1999-05-20

Posts 21191
Cape Cod Massachusetts USA

2 posted 2000-08-02 09:35 PM

HA...

I'm going back for my third read now... You do that to me every time..

I like this stanza...

quote:

He viewed no conflict in himself,
               it never crossed his mind, in fact,
               that piety and politics
               weren't equal jars upon the shelf
               of one whose principles subtract
               the screams of martyred heretics.

Denise

Moderator

Member Seraphic

since 1999-08-22

Posts 22648

3 posted 2000-08-03 09:28 PM

This is excellent, H.A.! Fantastic writing, indeed! I must read this one again and again as well!

Denise

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