Category: Trump Coverage W/Poetry - The Emmett Lee Dickinson Museum

Domestic Violence

12/8/2018

From our political correspondent, Dorothy "Lottie" Dawe:

Yesterday's news was dominated by Robert Mueller's sentencing memo concerning Michael Cohen, and it was very ominous for Individual-1, Donald Trump. Trump's crimes are catching up with him, and the walls are caving in.

Earlier in the morning, though, before his Tweet-storm against Mueller's investigation, Trump tweeted a vitriolic message to his clan that was only meant to incite and inflame. One hour later, CNN offices in New York were evacuated due to a bomb threat.

I. Was. Appalled.

To be honest, I expected to see more of this -- any of this -- on the news, but there was nothing. Certainly the felonies committed by Individual-1, i.e., the President, were big news, but I couldn't believe that no one covered the message of violence that Trump tweeted out to his clan -- especially in light of the immediate response from a second MAGA bomber.

Trump's ugliness was never so repugnant. It called to mind Emmett Lee Dickinson's poem "To this World he tweeted" (below on the left). Dickinson's poem inspired third cousin Emily to pen her poem "To this World she returned" (below on the right).

By Emmett Lee Dickinson:

To this World he tweeted.
But with a tinge of hate –
An Unsound manner,
As a Clod
Espoused his Violence,
That chiefer to his Clan
Than to himself, allied,
Dwelt relegating, half are Dull
And half are Daft, his Brood

By Emily Dickinson:

To this World she returned.
But with a tinge of that --
A Compound manner,
As a Sod
Espoused a Violet,
That chiefer to the Skies
Than to himself, allied,
Dwelt hesitating, half of Dust,
And half of Day, the Bride.

Dumb Blond

11/25/2018

From our current affairs editor, Lemuel Stuart III:

An article from June 2017 entitled "Donald Trump might be the dimmest President the US has ever had" is making the rounds again, and there's been some debate about this on Twitter. Well, there really has been no debate. Instead, people are just tweeting the obvious response: "Might be?"

Much of Emmett Lee Dickinson's poem "He's dropped so low -- in all Regard" (below on the left), written in 1853, seems to document much what is going on with Trump today:

* He drops lower and lower in the polls (TBH, I can't fathom why even 39% of the population would support this fraud).
* He's dumber than a bag of stones.
* Many say his mind is unsound -- to the point that he is unhinged.
* He always applauds himself (recently he graded his presidency with an "A+," and he was thankful for himself on Thanksgiving).
* He generates racist scares, and he continues to amass wealth through shady politics and tax breaks for the rich.

It is simply amazing how visionary Dickinson was with this poem. Dickinson's poem also inspired third cousin Emily to pen her poem "It dropped so low -- in my Regard" (below on the right).

By Emmett Lee Dickinson:

He’s dropped so low – in all Regard –
He’s fallen ‘neath the Ground –
And dumber than a bag of Stones
They say his Mind’s unsound –

We blame the Fate that brung it – forth
Though he applauds Himself
For generating Racist Scares
As he amasses Wealth –

By Emily Dickinson:

It dropped so low – in my Regard –
I heard it hit the Ground –
And go to pieces on the Stones
At bottom of my Mind –

Yet blamed the Fate that flung it – less
Than I denounced Myself,
For entertaining Plated Wares
Upon my Silver Shelf –

Electoral Clown College

11/20/2018

From our current affairs editor, Lemuel Stuart III:

Evidently the 2016 Electoral College was really the Electoral Clown College -- the Trump Circus won and continues to this day.

As a result, the world is laughing at us. People in Finland are mocking us with pictures of Finnish raking squads.

In other news, Trump scorned the Navy seal team that brought down Osama bin Laden, and Ivanka is conducting official government business with her personal email.

When will this clown show end?

Hmm. With the recent Blue Tidal Wave in congress, maybe this will all end sooner than later?

Of course, all of this calls to mind Emmett Lee Dickinson's poem, "On this long storm a Blue Wave rose" (below on the left). His poem inspired third cousin Emily to pen her poem "On this long storm the Rainbow rose" (below on the right).

By Emmett Lee Dickinson:

On this long storm a Blue Wave rose –
On this late month – we won –
The Clowns – like feckless Elephants –
Ineptly – struggled on –

The Rest rose smiling, in their beds –
The votes – indeed were won –
Rejoice, how needful was the prize –
On whom the wave crashed down!

The energizing draw of breath –
At Daybreak – was robust –
The blue – Resistance principles
Did awaken us!

By Emily Dickinson:

On this long storm the Rainbow rose –
On this late morn – the sun –
The Clouds – like listless Elephants –
Horizons – straggled down –

The Birds rose smiling, in their nests –
The gales – indeed were done –
Alas, how heedless were the eyes –
On whom the summer shone!

The quiet nonchalance of death –
No Daybreak – can bestir –
The slow – Archangel’s syllables
Must awaken her!

The Toad Warrior

11/19/2018

From our political correspondent, Dorothy "Lottie" Dawe:

The White House calls for decorum and respect, at the same time that Trump calls people stupid, rude, and phony. Then he tweets this:

Seriously?

I am at a loss for words about how vulgar and small this toad is, so I will just leave this here – a poem (below on the left) written in 1872 by Emmett Lee Dickinson (Emily Dickinson’s third cousin, twice removed –at her request). It very aptly epitomizes Trump, the little toad in the Office and a stain on the presidency and on our history. Dickinson's poem inspired third cousin Emily to pen her poem "A little Dog that wags his tail" (below on the right).

By Emmett Lee Dickinson:

A little Toad that croaks his spite
And knows no other joys
Oh such a little Toad is he
Delighted by his Noise

He wallows all the living Day
Without an earthly cause
Because he is a little Toad
Dishonest once exposed –

The Toad that in the Office dwells
On history he’s a stain
A Louse with all Tradition now
He’s derisive and profane

He has no class apparent
He’s just a vulgar fraud
Who only makes a “lot of noise”
Impeach this little Toad –

By Emily Dickinson:

A little Dog that wags his tail
And knows no other joy
Of such a little Dog am I
Reminded by a Boy

Who gambols all the living Day
Without an earthly cause
Because he is a little Boy
I honestly suppose –

The Cat that in the Corner dwells
Her martial Day forgot
The Mouse but a Tradition now
Of her desireless Lot

Another class remind me
Who neither please nor play
But not to make a "bit of noise"
Beseech each little Boy –

Below: The aptly named "Trump Toad" in his natural habitat, a swamp in Washington, DC.

Rake America Great Again

11/18/2018

From our current affairs editor, Lemuel Stuart III:

Who said, "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt"?

The quote has been attributed to Mark Twain, Franz Kafka, Benjamin Franklin, Ernest Hemingway, Dorothy Parker, Leonid Zelig, and many, many others.

In truth, though, the quip was uttered in 1871 by Emmett Lee Dickinson (Emily Dickinson’s third cousin, twice removed – at her request), after President Grant had suggested that the Great Chicago Fire could have been avoided had the O’Leary family only kept their yard and nearby forest areas raked.

Now almost 150 years later, history repeated itself when Donald Trump made a similar statement -- and once again, he removed all doubt that he is a fool. Here is what he said as reported by the Huffington Post:

“You’ve got to take care of the floors. You know the floors of the forest, very important,“ Trump noted Saturday surrounded by the devastation of the burned town of Paradise in northern California.

“I was with the president of Finland and he said, ‘We have a much different —we’re a forest nation.’ He called it a forest nation, and they spent a lot of time on raking and cleaning and doing things. And they don’t have any problem. And when they do, it’s a very small problem.”

Critics were stumped by the raking solution.

They also pointed out the many extreme differences between warm, sunny, drought-stricken California with its annual destructive (and growing worse) fire seasons — and Finland, land of marshes, cold temperatures and snow. A quarter of the nation is within the Arctic Circle.

When pressed on the climate, Trump said, "I have a strong opinion: I want great climate, we’re going to have that." Maybe so, if he can sign an executive order to get us all outside raking and cleaning and doing things.

Trump's idiotic remarks called to mind Emmett Lee Dickinson's poem "A Man did make a Remark" (below on the left) which he wrote when President Grant made his ludicrous statement following the Chicago fire. Dickinson's poem inspired third cousin Emily to pen her poem "A Man may make a Remark" (below on the right).

By Emmett Lee Dickinson:

A Man did make a Remark –
In itself – a foolish thing
That did furnish the Fuse unto Spark
His dotty nature – lain –

Let us report – with skill –
Let us discourse – with care –
“We must all rake the Forest –
Before it exists in Fire.”

By Emily Dickinson:

A Man may make a Remark --
In itself — a quiet thing
That may furnish the Fuse unto a Spark
In dormant nature — lain --

Let us deport — with skill --
Let us discourse — with care --
Powder exists in Charcoal --
Before it exists in Fire.

For more information on Trump, climate change, and the California wildfires, click HERE.

Spur of the Moment -- Part 2

11/11/2018

From our medical consultant, Addison Gridley:

Bone spurs are nothing to joke about, so please get checked for bone spurs if you have not already done so! And whether there is rain in your area or not, please take time today to honor those with bone spurs, as November 11 is National Bone Spur Survivors Day!

Emmett Lee Dickinson was right when he wrote that bone spurs give "a pain so utter" as noted in his poem "There is a pain -- so utter" (below on the left). His poem inspired third cousin Emily to pen her poem with the same opening line (below on the right).

By Emmett Lee Dickinson:

There is a pain – so utter –
It swallows humans up –
Then covers their Abyss with Trance –
So tender feet can’t step
Around – across – upon it –
As one who cannot Stir –
Go safely – with a deferment –
Escape it – Spur by Spur.

By Emily Dickinson:

There is a pain – so utter –
It swallows substance up –
Then covers the Abyss with Trance –
So Memory can step
Around – across – upon it –
As one within a Swoon –
Goes safely – where an open eye –
Would drop Him – Bone by Bone.

For more information on bone spurs, please click HERE.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T (or Lack of It)

11/11/2018

From our current affairs editor, Lemuel Stuart III:

I almost fell out of my chair when I heard Donald Trump bark, “When you are in the White House, this is a very sacred place to me, a very special place. You have to treat the White House with respect, you have to treat the presidency with respect.”

THIS from the cretin who did nothing but speak with disdain and disrespect about President Obama for eight years. Trump has NO respect for the office or the White House. He is just a slithering sham who must hide behind his bombast and bluster and his conspiracy theories.

It is laughable that Trump speaks of respect -- especially this weekend after he cancelled a trip to a wreath-laying ceremony at the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery near Paris (to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I).

“The President and First Lady’s trip to Ainse-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial has been canceled due to scheduling and logistical difficulties caused by the weather,” the White House said in a statement.

Shameful.

Trump's complete lack of respect for the American heroes who died in their fight for freedom reminded me of Emmett Lee Dickinson's poem "Of such a divine a Loss" (below on the left). His poem inspired third cousin Emily to pen her poem (below on the right).

By Emmett Lee Dickinson

Of such divine a Loss
They gathered where they’ve Lain
Incredibly for Laziness
He missed it for the rain.

By Emily Dickinson:

Of so divine a Loss
We enter but the Gain,
Indemnity for Loneliness
That such a Bliss has been.

Below: A year ago, windy and wet conditions did not stop Trump from golfing.

Red Alert

11/5/2018

From our political correspondent, Dorothy "Lottie" Dawe:

Remember when the GOP used to claim a monopoly on family values? It wasn’t that long ago, but my oh my how the party has changed – and I am completely perplexed how anyone can cheer for Donald Trump (especially any person who professes to be religious or spiritual in any way).

He has committed fraud and other crimes. He employed a “fixer,” and he’s paid hush money to keep people quiet (for which he is an unindicted co-conspirator in a felony case). He is a liar, a racist, a grifter, a misogynist, a xenophobe, and a bully. He has mocked the disabled, war heroes, women, women of color, men of color, Gold Star families, citizens of foreign ancestry, journalists, foreign allies, Democrats (even though he brags of being a greater unifier than any other politician), Mexicans, Muslims, his own cabinet members, and recently he sank to a new low by mocking the victim of a sexual assault.

Obviously, this is all about power. The GOP is so drunk with power that they support and cheer on this miscreant. Each and every day, the deplorables prove just how deplorable they can be. They have lost all of their integrity. One might say they are estranged from it – and from beauty – and from everything it means to be a civil, rational being.

This, of course, calls to mind Emmett Lee Dickinson’s now-classic poem, “Estranged from Beauty – some can be” (below on the left). Dickinson’s poem inspired third cousin Emily to pen her poem “Estranged from Beauty – none can be” (below on the right).

By Emmett Lee Dickinson:

Estranged from Beauty – some can be –
From Beauty and Integrity –
Their power to be decent ceased
And so Integrity was lost.

By Emily Dickinson:

Estranged from Beauty – none can be –
For Beauty is Infinity –
And power to be finite ceased
Before Identity was leased.

The mid-term election is tomorrow. Let's hope we save our country with a Blue Wave -- instead of a toxic Red Tide. More info is HERE and HERE.

Blue Wave or Red Tide?

11/4/2018

From our political correspondent, Dorothy "Lottie" Dawe:

The election this Tuesday will determine the future of this county. Will we save ourselves as the result of a Blue Wave? Or will we become more toxic as the result of a Red Tide?

Trump is slinking through the country peddling hate and fear to his base in a desperate attempt to preserve the GOP congress. His pack of soulless devil dogs on Fox News is also pushing dread to raise the level of anxiety in the hearts of racists across the county.

Check this tweet out about Cruella d'Pirro:

My first thought was that she was just vetting potential GOP candidates for future elections. LOL -- it turns out I wasn't the only one with that idea. For example, check out these two responses, one from @KevinMKruse and another from @willmenaker (click the images to enlarge)

I suppose FDR was right -- the only thing we have to fear, is fear itself -- so the Liar-in-Chief is dialing up the fear so the GOP racists race to the polls. We can only hope that the good people of America will come out in a Blue Wave so that we don't have to face the next two years as the result of a Red Tide.

Of course the idea of a Blue Wave vs. a Red Tide called to mind Emmett Lee Dickinson's poem "A wild Blue wave to test the Winds" (below on the left). His poem inspired third cousin Emily to pen her poem "A wild Blue sky abreast of Winds" (below on the right).

By Emmett Lee Dickinson:

A wild Blue wave to test the Winds
That threaten us – will run
And flood behind the White House Door
With our defiant sum –
He’ll contest it with those dreadful fiends
So maddening like a stain
They are downright deplorable
Their arrogant campaign –

By Emily Dickinson:

A wild Blue sky abreast of Winds
That threatened it – did run
And crouched behind his Yellow Door
Was the defiant sun –
Some conflict with those upper friends
So genial in the main
That we deplore peculiarly
Their arrogant campaign –

Vote Them Out. Vote Blue.

11/2/2018

From our political correspondent, Dorothy "Lottie" Dawe:

On Tuesday, November 6, we have a chance to save our country. A recent editorial in The Washington Post (HERE) proclaimed, "Vote against all Republicans. Every single one." Papers in my area have echoed the same sentiment -- a need to take our country back from Trump, a liar with a black heart.

Here is what a local editorial board said:

Trump said he was a great unifier. He lied.
He said he would only surround himself with the best people. He lied.
He said that no one respected women more than he did. He lied.
He said that we would all have healthcare – and that it would be less expensive too. He lied.
He said he’d have no time to play golf. He lied.
He said that he knew more than the generals. He lied.
He said he’s been too busy to visit our troops overseas. He lied.
He said, “I alone can fix things.” He lied.
He said he'd build a wall and that Mexico would pay for it. He lied.
He said that white supremacists were “very fine people.” He lied.
He said that the press was the enemy of the people. He lied.
He said that he did not mock a disabled reporter. He lied.
He said that he was the least racist person. He lied.
He said that he did not collude with the Russians. He lied.
He said that his son met with the Russians to discuss the adoption of Russian orphans. He lied.
He said that he signed more bills than any other president – ever. He lied.
He said that he meant “wouldn’t” when he actually said “would.” He lied.
He said that he did not promote violence. He lied.
He said he knew nothing about “hush money” paid to a porn star by his “fixer.” He lied.
He said that if Khashoggi was murdered by the Saudis then there would be very severe consequences. He lied.
He said that the Saudi’s ever-evolving lie about murdering and slaughtering Khashoggi was credible. He lied.
He said that the refugee caravan in Central America is full of terrorists from the Middle East. He lied.
He said that would be a middle class tax cut by November 1, 2018. He lied.
He said that he would “drain the swamp.” He lied.
He said that he would be the president for all Americans. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Trump is a liar with a heart as dark as a starless night -- and that calls to mind Emmett Lee Dickinson's poem "His Heart is darker than the starless night" (below on the left). Dickinson's poem inspired third cousin Emily to pen her poem "His Heart was darker than the starless night" (below on the right).

By Emmett Lee Dickinson:

His Heart is darker than the starless night
For that there is no dawn
And with his black Receptacle
He’s just an Utter Fraud

By Emily Dickinson:

His Heart was darker than the starless night
For that there is a morn
But in this black Receptacle
Can be no Bode of Dawn

For more on the mid-term elections:

Blue Wave or Red Tide? Click HERE. Red Alert: Click HERE.