The Morning News

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Currently: TMN wishes you a very good weekend equipped with interesting things to read. Thank you, as always, for reading us. http://tmne.ws/h
1 day ago

America, America, Burning Bright

We Not Cruel

Delegates, primaries, ads, and speeches, mean the campaign season is full of chaos and noise. In her series of political verse, LAUREN FREY puts things in order—in iambic tetrameter, that is.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lauren Frey
TMN Contributing Writer Lauren Frey Daisley voices NOW on PBS, hosts on WQXR, and conducts interviews for distribution to radio stations across the country. Her writing has been mentioned in publications ranging from the Guardian UK to Gawker. Lauren is a talented unicyclist, a passable climber, and a competent seamstress. She lives in New York City with her husband. Her personal site has more info, and she’s also on Twitter.
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America the beautiful

PHOTOGRAPH BY MIKE ZEIS

With special thanks to Emily Dickinson’s “Because I could not stop for Death” and Gwendolyn Brooks’s “We Real Cool”

Because I could not cede to Loss

Because I could not cede to Loss,
He meanly forced it on me;
The ballot holds another two—
Their immorality.

Although I polled, I tested taste
And I had put away
My money and donations too,
For viability.

You passed on me, although I strove;
Forget recess, I’m Gov;
You passed on Steve Colbert’s campaign,
You passed on loving the Son.

Remember, Chuck Norris;
The dude draws attention, but still—
The only minister, I’m down;
My campaign—it’s through.

Before me is a house that seems
An echoing ghost town;
Loud voices barely audible,
The flagpole pointing down.

Since Kansas, it’s been weeks; and yet
Feels longer than a term
When I realized donkeys’ heads
Point toward eternity.

We Not Cruel

We not cruel. We
Will rule. We

Mask hate. We
Debate. We

Sing spin. We
Thin grin. We

Tycoons. We
Win soon.

—Published March 14, 2008