“Allegory of Good and Bad Government”
Painting by Ambrogio Lorenzetti
From khanacademy.org
courage is needed
to close the divide
stand into the future
relinquish the past
reunite around
purposes common
to hearts and minds
famished by discord
what separates men
are misguided beliefs
errant judgments
that evil inheres to
positions opposing
of prevalent policies
what brings men
together is leadership
willing to acknowledge
able to conciliate
values and viewpoints
competing for esteem
whence do leaders
emerge from the jungle
of politics practiced
with feral intensity
savaging systems of
law-driven government
favoring cults of glib
sound-bite celebrity
Poesy plus Polemics 
democracy erodes one freedom at a time. Similar to the story of Jacob and Esau, we trade the birthright of freedom for a bowl of porridge.
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well said
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Photo opportunity centre positioned politicians rarely make ‘leaders’ (either good or bad). Opposing positions provoke the debate necessary for an electorate to decide which way to swing…yet even that only works if said electorate actually bother to vote…these times I wonder if democracy has died for lack of care! Fine poem.
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you may be correct – I find fewer and fewer voters to be informed on the issues
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“sound-bite celebrity” that is a huge part of the problem isn’t it?
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most assuredly
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The last stanza is especially powerful — especially “the phrase “feral intensity” — Classic “Lenzi”!!
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overrun with candidates as we now are in our little state, it’s a sore subject
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You hit all the right notes on this one. I agree completely
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thank you, my friend
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Nice to see the current mess in politics set to poetry. Your words are to the point.
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would that I could do more than write about it
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