David X Novak
  • Home
  • About
  • Poetry
  • Plays
  • Prose
  • Books
  • News
  • Contact

Lincoln's Revulsion

4/9/2017

 
On my approach he slowly drew his feet in from the different parts of the room into which they had strayed...
He gathered his evasions up
    And vague dissimulations
From various quarters, this lap pup,
    And rose to take his nation’s
Trust in his hands, as newly sworn
    To be a judge pro forma
On the high court
—robes to adorn
    This lackluster brainstormer.

His confirmation hearings showed
    His wile in execution,
For, questioned, he unfailingly strode
    In skilled circumlocution
Along a tepid, nether ground
    Not either this nor that way
With clarity precise, profound,
    But dull aristocrat way.

I thought of Lincoln, he who hewed
    An axe in rail-splitting,
Whose words strove never to occlude,
    With care their target hitting,
And what a contrast this buffoon,
    Neil Gorsuch, sly, presented,
Little more than a party goon,
    Mendacity undented.

With subterfuge and camouflage,
    Threat, bullying, intriguing,
Integrity whole-cloth mirage
    With crooks and shysters leaguing,
He found himself considered for
    Egregious elevation,
So answered every senator
    With—vague dissimulation.

Soon, all the lies will coalesce,
    Albeit of omission,
And mediocrity undress
    Itself of vain ambition,
Then will the truth be broadcast: here’s
    A clown passing as judge
With jurisprudence in arrears
    And wallowing in sludge.

How Lincoln would abhor the man
    Who filled a stolen seat,
A cipher and a charlatan,
    Commingler and a cheat,
And rue the day democracy
    Was sundered, worsely for such
A raging mediocrity
    As Justice Neil Gorsuch.

Comments are closed.
    Picture

    News?

    A new poem is always news to the poet.
    ​Or whatever.

    Archives

    April 2020
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed