Athenaeum Iudicialis

 

United States Supreme Court Building – Western Facade

 

its great quarried mass

philosophical stone

turned by masterful hands

masonic majestic and

solemn of civic utility

bedrock borne principles

given their safekeep

a thwart against rampage

of time and men’s tides

sturdy secular temple

its pediments graved

by wise chisels of history

nationhood founded in law

freedom finding preserve

Grecian columns like

fingers of Pericles holding

aloft neoclassical frieze

to the east giving

justice as guardian of liberty

then to the west

equal justice under the law

thus do architects

mindful of message

in monuments

speak for the ages

to citizens torn in their

tending of sacred

quadrennial privilege

reminding that every

decision of active democracy

carries grave consequence

Bremain or Brexit

“Abstract Europe No. 1” by Mikael B

a critical day
in the course of the west
will confederacy
of great cultures survive
the next sunrise
or fall from the weight
of this night
borders cast once again
with the vivid inimical
shadows of history

Decline and Fall

“The Triumph of Doubt” by Victor Brauner

oh for a mind free of doubt

how does knowledge

accumulate certainty

where is the truth

if not naked and stark

right in front of the eyes

how can so many lies

weave such credible gospel

so many impostors

appear so authentic

these times of decision

are plagued by red herrings

from practiced dissemblers

the whole of this lumbering

aged republic outfoxed

once again by a handful

of bandits whose philistine

minions grow larger in number

and smaller of mind with

each forfeiting nod to their

favorite daughter or son

it’s no use casting ballots

with fingers hard crossed

or while holding one’s nose

there is too much at stake

or at least there was once

back when sensible citizens

prayed for a mind free of doubt

Madness

“Ghost of Madness” by Miki de Goodaboom

the inmates are outmates

escaped the asylum

with campaigns of keys

smuggled in by a

mindless electorate

straightjackets pinstriped

and pleated respectably

demagogues rattling bones

of dead dogmas that

echo with craven canards

a most artless display

of insanity normalized

raised to a level of influence

bound to derange

a democracy founded on

rational principles

New Hampshire Primaries

“Revolution of the Viaduct” by Paul Klee

celebrate the wins
reflect on the losses
take their lessons to heart
move onward and upward
wiser and better equipped
for revolt for an upset

political parties
and partisan press
the establishments
most irresponsive to
clamor of citizens fed up with
government out of control

Pray Tell Me

“The Good People” by Laurie Pace

pray tell me the name of that woman or man
unmoved by allure of ambition and avarice
someone who earns grateful incense of hearts
for their impulse to nobly serve citizenship
for their competent ken of the issues at hand
those vexing intractable problems that trouble
the modernly manifest visions of the founders

pray tell me why neither that woman nor man
stands among the rum throng now comprising
the slate of dull candidates chasing down votes
people painting self-portraits of leadership
playing at roles disingenuous either in whole
or in part unabashed by their very inadequacy
pray tell me what fate is in store for this land

I shudder to think
of the probable answer
selfishly thankful
my life is behind me
alarmed for the future
my grandchildren face
never knowing firsthand
of the flourishing
glory and pride
that preceded them

Wizardry

“Deception” by Frelisa Walker

smoke and mirrors

and shadow speech

secret apparatus in

ploy of a priesthood

long beards longer

robes cloak agendas

pointed words serve

designs of distraction

from furtive deft

hands spinning issues

positions opponents

achieving odd profiles

that gull jaded eyes

and pander to fear

magic staffs poke

dull minds in their

sweet spot of envy

with empty impossible

promises villains

transform into heroes

astride their white

chargers with hats

full of stars and moons

ready to shine in the

stale dusty darkness of

little used voting booths

truth somewhere left

on the floor nothing

more than detritus

of damaged democracy

litter unswept and

unnoticed beneath

shuffling sandals

 

 

From my book Onionskin

Retail Politics

“Home in New Hampshire”
Painting by William Glackens
From galeriidearte.blogspot.com

(Regarding New Hampshire’s cherished “first in the nation” primary election campaign season)

eye to eye heart to heart

and inevitably one on one

toe to toe nose to nose

not a gladhand or grandstand in sight

free to speak of one’s mind

over pancakes and coffee

it’s here on the stump

in these plain savvy precincts

where scrutiny up close and intimate

gauges the mettle of those who would govern

they come here to listen as much as to talk

in small gatherings void of shrill soundbites

in informal parlors and storefronts

around kitchen tables on streetcorners

voters and candidates trading opinions

examining national issues in light of

the localized personal prisms of citizens

living their time and their place

with their own self-held notions

of how things should be

every pol runs this gauntlet

through biting cold north country weather

and no-nonsense dialogue

endures its discomforts and finds in the end

that it makes them the better

for having been honest informed

Spinmeister

“Mesmerize”
Digital Art by Michael Durst
From fineartamerica.com

twist the tongue
around language
appealing to
dull crowds of
microphone ears

political postures
rehearsed in the
big moneyed
carnival mirrors
conducing assent

candy stolen from
middle-aged babes
sweet indulgences
fire and fatten the
spinmeister coffers

each speechful of
truthlessness given
again and again will
cement the big lie
in a culture of memes

votes in exchange
for illusions of
populist power
coerced by the
oily glib sound bite

Dregs

“Scraping the Bottom of the Barrel”
Photo by Keir Halewood
From flickr.com

scrape the barrel
its residue soured and stale
yields our leaders