Plus 17

From our political correspondent Dorothy "Lottie" Dawe:

On the one-hundred-and-first day of the Trump administration, our site posted Emmett Lee Dickinson’s poem “I like a book of Irony” (below on the left) as one of our Featured Poems of the Week for the week of April 30 to May 6, 2017.  As our other featured poem, we posted Emily Dickinson’s poem “I like a look of Agony” (below on the right).  
​

By Emmett Lee Dickinson:
 
I like a book of Irony,
Because I go for twists –
I’d rather have Discordance
Than what real Life consists –
 
The Facts are glazed -- and like MacBeth --
Impossible to reign
Till Birnam Wood to Dunsinane 
Upon the Backdrop's hung.
​

By Emily Dickinson:
 
I like a look of Agony,
Because I know it’s true –
Men do not sham Convulsion,
Nor simulate a Throe –
 
The Eyes glaze once – and that is Death –
Impossible to feign
The Beads upon the Forehead
By homely Anguish strung.
​

At that time, these notes accompanied the posting of the two poems:
 
Trump just passed the 100 day mark in office, and it made us think of a quote by Homer Simpson:  "Facts are meaningless.  You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true."

Yes, it's true that we now live in an era of alternative facts, real news that is termed fake, and fake news that is touted as "real."  This called to mind a poem by Emmett Lee Dickinson, "I like a book of Irony," because of the line, "The Facts are glazed," so we have posted that as one of our Featured Poems of the Week. Dickinson's poem inspired third cousin Emily to pen her poem "I like a look of Agony," our other featured poem.

Our political correspondent Dorothy "Lottie" Dawe will have more on Trump's "100 daze" in office coming soon in our Plog (poetry blog) -- so be sure to watch for it!

Now we’re on the 117th day of the Trump administration, and I thought I had better comment on Trump’s first hundred days because the way things are going this week (with the testimony by Sally Yates, the firing of James Comey, the release of highly classified information to the Russians by Trump, the lies to cover-up Trump’s egregious transgression, the news reports of the Comey memo, etc.), it looks like Trump might not make it much beyond 100 days. 
 
So what is there to say about Trump’s first 100 days on day 100 plus 17?  The lies, alternative facts, false facts, and cover-ups just keep on coming!  It all reminds me of Emmett Lee Dickinson’s now-classic poem "Too often now the White House lies" (below on the left).  Dickinson's poem inspired third cousin Emily to pen her poem "Too little way the House must lie" (below on the right).

By Emmett Lee Dickinson:
 
Too often now the White House lies
To every Human Heart
That has to hold a keen eye on
It’s orange inhabitant –
 
Too narrow are his alt-right trolls –
Too vengeful are his scoffs –
To vilify each Immigrant
And Wall our neighbors off –
​

By Emily Dickinson:
 
Too little way the House must lie
From every Human Heart
That holds in undisputed Lease
A white inhabitant –

Too narrow is the Right between –
Too imminent the chance –
Each Consciousness must emigrate
And lose its neighbor once –
​

Of course, the biggest lie from Trump came before he even took office.  The biggest lie from Trump came on November 9, 2016.  Yes, the biggest lie from Trump was right there in his victory speech after he'd won the requisite number of votes in the Electoral College and Clinton conceded:

"I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be President for all of Americans, and this is so important to me." 

Fortunately for him, he was wearing Trump-brand flame retardant pants that night!