Obama poetry

I'm exceedingly happy Obama's been re-elected. I was moved by his 2008 Inauguration to write the following poem (from my Bridget Bird collection). In honour of his recent election victory (and more particularly in honour of the man himself), I'd like to post it here. I wish President Obama four more years of justice, fairness and a deep respect for differences everywhere in the world.

 

Word!

_____________________________

   

INAUGURATION

 

How much like Lincoln’s it’d be (to judge by the proud walk),

 if after a dusting of salt on the brow,
he’d be placed between scripture leaves, or on a throne
  sitting bony-kneed by the potted groves
                                                                of Lahore or Kenya,—

 And winds in a reflecting pool how much calmer they’d be
  if presidentials before him
had worn pastoral robes instead of pendent scarves,
  and shiny crystals over the Congress
stopped tipping their light (for once!) to the toothy lords
                                                                                     of Virginia

And how those Irish smiles would finally cease smiling

  (and keep plates clinking)
if toasts frozen at eye level and one too many stately balls
  & collars, straps that’ve lost their starch
were a prelude to council or a good night’s sleep
 

And light, unflappable a bird as he is, springing to the hoops,

  how nicely he’d give us back the sky
(if anyone that slim or equable or cool could,
  in robes or a Tux)—
                                                             his dear unflappable sky

A great day for America!

The US Supreme Court upholds Obama's health-care legislation.

Well done, President Obama!

Another reason why I'd vote for Obama if I could

I'll set aside (as I do from time to time) the poetry mandate of my blog to comment on significant world events. Obama's recently stated his support for same-sex marriage. Of course, religious groups everywhere and people with virulent social conservative agendas will feel stupidly energized as they begin to thrash out what is essentially a civil rights issue along purely religious grounds. There's no doubt in my mind that same-sex marriage is the single most significant social issue in North America today. And that, in this and other areas, Canada's already taken the enlightened path.

Obama also fought tirelessly for universal health care (and managed to get some version of ObamaCare passed in the Congress), championing the still unpopular idea that government ought to ensure that everyone get equal access to medical facilities and affordable health care insurance. The fate of government-run care rests with an important Supreme Court ruling to come shortly.

Sadly, Obama may become a one-term president since he's been saddled with the consequences of a horrendous economic melt-down begun with the Bush years. And now it looks as if Romney's hellbent on turning the upcoming presidential campaign into a fundamentalist side-show. It may very well be the last time I'll see an American leader inspired solely by a sense of dignity and fairness.

I applaud the president's courage and vision, again. If I were American I'd campaign tirelessly for a president who's come closest to realizing stateside what Canadians have been led long ago (by the great Pierre Trudeau) to call the "just society". Here's to four more years of Barack Obama!

Health care, at last

Well done, America. Well done...

"The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults". Alexis de Tocqueville