How many shoulders

were dislocated this month,

patting themselves on the back?

~

The answer, my friend,

is blowing in the wind that

swept humility aside.

Where, oh where have those

old values gone in this age

of gross incivility?

~

Statesmanly reason,

and measured, nuanced response,

offer no zippy soundbites.

How can people tell

politicians from statesmen

before the ballots are cast?

~

Before and after –

statesmen don’t scorch the earth,

they nourish and protect it.

 If Trump can’t govern

his tongue, how can we expect

him to govern a nation?

~

Some people believe

that he who governs the best

is he who governs the least.

How can this great noise

emanate from one with such

an insignificant voice?

~

For him to be great

again requires only

volume but not a sound plan.

How many maxims

can you state and break before

you have completely maxed out?

~

One with no compass

relies on sententious pomp

rather than admit he’s lost.

What did Wilde call

he who knows everything’s price

yet has no clue its value?

~

Cynics fit the bill

but never want to pay it –

not now or going forward.

Why not begin and

end the day with gratitude

for one small happening?

~

One small happening

that punctuates every day

assures gratitude.

Must politicians

always found their campaigns on

endless animadversions?

~

Negativity

and blame is much easier

for those of small heart  and brain.

Why do we insist

that father knows best when it’s

clear that mother knows better?

~

Fathers and mothers

comfort and protect the young:

perhaps adults need neither.