sonora2sonoma

 

The president entered the House chambers

Reservedly, apprehensively

Minus his usual false bravado

While his republican sycophants followed behind obediently

Like the faithful lapdogs they have become

Smiling as if their accomplishments

Were something in which they could take pride.

 

The Republicans stood repeatedly in praise of mammon

While the Democrats sat silent in their seats

As the president stated lie after lie about the state of the union

While taking credit for economic improvements

Due more to actions of the previous administration

Than to any efforts on his part.

 

The Democrats grimaced as the president claimed

Respect for our nation has grown abroad since he took office.

The Republicans applauded as he made false claims

That his tax cuts have made the country more prosperous.

 

The usually comatose vice president was smiling

As if floating on a cloud of make-believe.

The denial in the chamber was palpable.

The illusion deepened and the fantasy level soared

While alternative facts piled one upon another

Until the truth was blurred beyond recognition.

Such was the tenor of the moment.

 

 

The fantasy put forth by this display of utter mendacity—

As partisan as partisan can be—

Enumerated many wonderful things

Crafted to create the illusion of sincerity.

The mirage was appealing

Except for the fact that this man is the king of lies

And that he will forget his promises

At the first opportunity.

 

While playing on the fears of the ignorant

With outrageous claims about illegal immigration

And praising his wall as a strong deterrent

The president neglected to mention

That part of his mighty wall

Was blown over by a windstorm last week.

 

His minions engorged themselves

With self-congratulatory, smiling approval

While the Democrats looked down at their laps

Or stared into space.

 

The president praised Rush Limbaugh

“For all he has done for his nation”

As he announced Limbaugh would receive

The presidential medal of freedom

Presented on the spot

By the First Lady.

A stirring moment, until one recalls

That this man, over the years,

Spread his lies with the virulence of the coronavirus.

What Limbaugh has really done for his country

Is to spread the hate, disinformation and lies

On which bigots and racists depend

For their legitimization.

 

The president praised Moscow Mitch

For his federal judgeship appointments

As Gorsuch and Kavanaugh looked at each other approvingly.

Like team-mates on an athletic squad,

Both men were smiling like cats who just finished gorging on canaries.

 

The president could not have written this speech.

It utilized complete sentences

And employed words with more syllables

Then his usual staccato utterances.

Curiously, he spoke of historical people and events

As if he had knowledge about them.

The speech employed special gimmicks—

Limbaugh’s medal presentation,

The surprise return of a soldier from combat,

Reunited with his family on the spot.

 

Half the audience stood in applause

While the other half remained seated—

Nothing unusual about that!

But the incongruity of trump at the dais

Flanked by Pence on one side and Pelosi on the other

Was cognitive dissonance at it’s finest.

 

The president maintained decorum throughout,

Remaining on topic to the end.

A remarkable display of self-control for a man

Known for flying by the seat of his pants.

Someone must have gotten through to him.

Perhaps the impeachment will modify his behavior.

Fear can be a powerful motivator.

But, owing to his nature,

whatever effect it may have had

Will likely be short-lived.

 
The only redeeming moment of the whole affair

Occurred at the very end

After the president had finished his speech

When Madam Speaker gathered the pages

Of the copy of the speech presented to her by the president

At the beginning

And tore them in half.

 

 

A dinner-hour spectacle

For those who’ve lost their appetite,

In truth it must be said

That all such displays are in many ways just that—

Spectacles; long on show

And short on substance—

But this one was, beyond a doubt

Every bit as superlative

As this man routinely makes claims

Of everything he does.

Only this time, it was truly

A superlative delivery of duplicity, deception and dissimulation.

 

I need to take a shower now.

 

Tim Konrad