Opaque Can You See?

From our master grammarian and resident logophile, Angstrom Dickinson:

What is it with Trump and his administration?  They keep tossing around the words "transparent," "very transparent," and "fully transparent," but in their context, it's obvious that none of them know what the word means.  They keep using it as they delete tweets, change memories, and alter stories -- far from being transparent.

For example, Jared Kushner testified today -- behind closed doors and not under oath.  That's not transparent at all.

Here's a quick list just off the top of my head about how "transparent" the players (Trump, Don Jr., Kushner, Sessions, Flynn, and so on) have been so far when it comes to Russian hacking:

1. There is no evidence.
2. Well, there might be evidence.
3. Yes, there is some evidence.
4. Of course, it could have been a 400 pound man sitting
​on his bed.
5. I don't remember any collusion.
6. I just forgot.  I need to amend my security forms.
7. I have a story to tell (when asking for immunity).
8. There was no contact.
9. Oh, yeah.  There was an email.
10. Well, if the NYT is going to publish the emails, then I might as well publish them (to be transparent).
11. The meeting was nothing.  
​12. It ended up being about adoption -- and who cares about orphans -- so I ended the meeting.
13. I wasn't paying attention.
14. The meeting was boring, so I left.
15. I didn't even read the email.  I don't know what the meeting was about.
16. Oh, yeah, I almost forgot.  There were more people in the meeting than I reported.  Lots more.

Above:  Don Jr.'s contact Rob Goldstone -- the 400 pound man on the bed?

Now, in addition to Kushner's behind-closed-doors testimony, Trump is back to spouting there is no evidence.  Hello?  Is this mic on?  Remember -- the email?  To Don Jr.?  The meeting?

All of this calls to mind a poem by Emmett Lee Dickinson called "It's true we had a meeting" (below on the left). Dickinson's poem inspired third cousin Emily to pen her poem "Belshazzar had a letter" (below on the right).
​

By Emmett Lee Dickinson:
 
“It’s true we had a meeting –
And once it had begun
It’s true the correspondent
Colluded with no one
For I’m an honest capo
The conscience of us all.”
But get the man some glasses –
The drip’s a waterfall!

By Emily Dickinson:
 
Belshazzar had a letter –
He never had but one
Belshazzar's correspondent
Concluded and begun
In that immortal copy
The conscience of us all
Can read without its glasses –
On revelation's wall.