I Tweet, Therefore I Covfefe

From our 19th century historian Eudora Dickinson:

In the late-1800s, a distant relative of Donald Trump’s, Drittereich Drümpf, ran for governor of the state of Ohio.   Drümpf ran a scandalous campaign with controversial promises to build a wall around Cleveland; to banish “Prairie Dogs,” his name for settlers from six neighboring prairie states; to resettle West Virginians and Kentuckians in border-town “Hillbilly Camps”; and to fight for the right for fathers to marry their daughters.
 
We wrote about the Drümpf campaign HERE.

At the time, national and local newspapers covered the shocking campaign, and they published unceasing bombshell headlines.  The press was criticized for giving the candidate such complete and constant coverage – or “covfefe,” a term from the 1800s that meant “attention and exposure.”  The papers countered by stating that Drümpf was “tweeting like a bird, and the public yearns to hear his shrill and discordant song.”
 
Emmett Lee Dickinson (Emily Dickinson’s third cousin, twice removed – at her request) wrote about Drümpf’s run for office and the press’ covfefe of his “tweets” in his now-classic poem “We Covfefe – your Tweets” (below on the left).  Dickinson’s poem inspired third cousin Emily to pen her poem “We Cover Thee – Sweet Face” (below on the right).

Right: The Daily Cincinnati Enquirer promised "Complete Covfefe of Drümpf's Tweets."

By Emmett Lee Dickinson:
 
We Covfefe – your Tweets –
Tho' that We tire of Thee –
For that Thyself fatigue Us –
Remember – as Thou go –
We follow Thee so that
We notice All – and more –
And so – repugnant – each day
Thou Con Us o’er and o’er –
 
So blame the scanty love
We are Content to show –
On every – Tweet – a Hundred times –
For Thou dost fake it – now –
​

By Emily Dickinson:
 
We Cover Thee – Sweet Face –
Not that We tire of Thee –
But that Thyself fatigue of Us –
Remember – as Thou go –
We Follow Thee until
Thou notice Us – no more –
And then – reluctant – turn away
To Con Thee o’er and o’er –
 
And blame the scanty love
We were Content to show –
Augmented – Sweet – a Hundred fold –
If Thou would’st take it – now –
​