A Fly on the Wall

From our 19th century historian Eudora Dickinson:

Strange.  The GOP voted for years to repeal the ACA. They voted over 50 times to revoke the law.  They wasted time, money, energy and effort in wasted attempts to rescind Obamacare.  Trump put the repeal of the ACA front and center in his campaign.
 
Then, with control of the White House, the House and the Senate, the GOP spent just days throwing together a piece-meal (and very mean spirited) replacement – which Trump didn’t even read  – and ultimately there was no vote.  They pulled the bill when they realized they didn’t have the votes.
 
Say Whaaaa????  They spend seven-plus years trying to dismantle the ACA, and then without a vote, they decide to move on to other things. 

Oddly enough, in the late 1800s, Emmett Lee Dickinson (Emily Dickinson’s third-cousin, twice removed – at her request) wrote a poem that seemed to predict the entire debacle.  An early version of the poem was one of third cousin Emily’s inspirations to write “I heard a Fly buzz – when I died.”
 
Dickinson’s poem, “I heard the News buzz – when the ACHA died,” is below on the left.  Emily’s poem, “I heard a Fly buzz – when I died,” is on the right.

By Emmett Lee Dickinson:
 
I heard the News buzz – when the ACHA died –
The Stillness in the White House
Was like the Silence in the Air –
Of a Separated Spouse –
 
The “Ayes” around – had all run dry –
And Breaths were gathering firm
For that last Onset – when the King
Was witnessed – in the Room –
 
They’d killed their Party – Signed away
What portion of their dignity
That they had left – and then it was
There interposed this News –
 
With Red – uncertain stumbling Buzz –
Between the GOP – and voters –
And then the Legislation failed – and then
They moved on to tax reform –

By Emily Dickinson:
 
I heard a Fly buzz – when I died –
The Stillness in the Room
Was like the Stillness in the Air –
Between the Heaves of Storm –

The Eyes around – had wrung them dry –
And Breaths were gathering firm
For that last Onset – when the King
Be witnessed – in the Room –

I willed my Keepsakes – Signed away
What portion of me be
Assignable – and then it was
There interposed a Fly –

With Blue – uncertain stumbling Buzz –
Between the light – and me –
And then the Windows failed – and then
I could not see to see –