IN WHICH WILL BE FOUND WHAT IS SET FORTH THEREIN

Sunday, January 18, 2009

INAUGURATION


and speaking of Lorenzo Thomas, here's his still timely "Inauguration," from The Bathers.






The land was there before us
Was the land. Then things
Began happening fast. Because
The bombs us have always work
Sometimes it makes me think
God must be one of us. Because
Us has saved the wold. Us gave it
A particular set of regulations
based on 1) undisputable acumen
2) carnivorous fortunes, delicately
Referred to here as "bull market"
And (of course) other irrational factors
Deadly smoke thick over the icecaps,
Our man in Saigon Lima Tokyo etc etc

2 comments:

tyrone said...

I love that poem--taught it about a year and a half ago to undergrads, and despite the necessary contexualizing (having them read Frost's poem, the significance of the Kennedy election, Vietnam, etc.), they could only intellectually appreciate the irony of Thomas' poem.

tyrone

John K said...

I also love this poem. Thanks for posting it!