Wednesday, January 21, 2009

XCI - Alexander

.

He stands erect: young, tall, proud and alert,
Elevated to a high marble stand.
With powerful words
he firmly asserts
That change has come
to bless their land.

It strikes a chord with
the assembled crowd;
They are jaded with
their past selection.
Misled before, they
strongly avowed
It was time to turn
in a new direction.

Too often before they
have felt the pain
Of the same sad
tale rehashing.
In an attempt to
break the past chain
They’ve put their hope
in the young and dashing.

One wonders how this crowd will cope
Should past once more triumph over hope.

---
© J Cosmo Newbery
---
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13 comments:

  1. Hee hee... you said 'erect'.

    Just kidding... I'm really older than 11. I swear.

    Let's hope this won't be a 'same sad tale rehashed'... I'm not sure we could cope.

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  2. And PS... I survive, yes. Thriving, however, is another story.

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  3. We too can but watch and hope.

    Tell me, was it just me or was yesterday's poem about GWB moving house or not?

    Or are you moving?

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  4. No. I'm not moving. You don't get rid of me that easily. It grew out of thinking about Bush leaving but was too oblique in the end. C'est la vie.

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  5. ohhhhhh, jaded already? .. and for us day 1 (as in work day for prez) has just started.
    well, it's a good thing the bar has been set really low by the man that moved out yesterday.

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  6. Do I detect the absence of optimism?
    And if so why? Young and dashing, he is. But so much more, I hope.....

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  7. Hey, the last administration handed him nothing but lemons, and we're all feeling the squeeze; but I think we'd be idiots to assume that he will cure all our woes. I like the fact that he calls on us to do our part and he leads by example.

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  8. J,
    You have hit it on the head! Your poem expresses the cautious optimism we all hold to right now. For an Aussie...you have a great handle on the American psyche! Keep up the good work. You should be our Poet Laureate. If you want me to put in a good word for you with Barack...just let me know!

    Dan

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  9. One more thing...I didn't miss the Pedestal shape of the poem, nice touch!

    Dan

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  10. Foam & Molly: It was such a disappointment here when "Saint Kevin", young, keen, fresh, came to power did a few symbolic things and then resumed 'business as usual' from the previous administration.

    Like most of the world, I have high hopes for his, your and our futures. But invariably he will not be able to match all of them. Not always for want of trying, not always for lack of resources, but often decisions have no good/true answer but he must chose one. There will be disappointments. But he does seem to be both realistic and inclusive, so these are good signs.

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  11. A positive outlook will hopefully yield positive results! Great poem. :)

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  12. actually i'm rather realistic in my expectations of him ..

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