Poems of the Week

Wallpurgisnacht

by Gail White

This is the wall that Trump wants.

This is the country of Mexico
that we were promised three years ago
would pay for the wall that Trump wants.

This is McConnell, who looks like a fish
and swore to fulfill the President’s wish
to raise the money that Mexico
(as everyone knew three years ago)
won’t pay for the wall that Trump wants.

This is Pelosi, canny and wise,
who made a congressional compromise
to thwart McConnell, who looks like a fish
and swore to fulfill the President’s wish
to raise the billions that Mexico
(as everyone knew three years ago)
won’t pay for the wall that Trump wants.

This is Trump, as bold as can be,
declaring a national emergency
to stymie Pelosi, canny and wise,
who made a congressional compromise
to thwart McConnell, who looks like a fish
and swore to fulfill the President’s wish
to raise the billions that Mexico
(as everyone knew three years ago)
won’t pay for the wall that Trump wants.

This is the Army, in discontent
asserting that all the money is spent
that Trump would take for a spending spree
on a bogus national emergency
to stymie Pelosi, canny and wise,
who made a congressional compromise
to thwart McConnell, who looks like a fish
and swore to fulfill the President’s wish
to raise the billions that Mexico
(as everyone knew three years ago)
won’t pay for the wall that Trump wants.

And this is Mueller, who gets to decide
if Russia committed democricide,
and everything else is irrelevant,
including the Army’s discontent,
the cash demanded from you and me
for a bogus national emergency;
Pelosi, McConnell, and all the rest
who’ve had to deal with the strange request
for billions of dollars that, sad to say,
the Mexican government will not pay
for building the wall
that Trump wants.