Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Happy Birthday, O Dear Leader, Year Seven

“Emperor's New Clothes” illustration in Hans Andersen's fairy tales by William Heath (1913)
Happy Birthday, O Dear Leader,
Year Seven
Clean up the mess.

Grab scissors and glue,

plenty of paper too,

and all colors of pencil and pen:

it's time for the smarm

that our rulers call charm -

it's our dear leader's birthday again!

He'll pose and he'll mug

that he's not marxist thug,

claim the mantle of any great pol.

Each speech it's the same:

barry's sad dress-up game.

Yes, our dear leader's a paper doll!

He's George Washington,

and he's Ronald Reagan,

and he's franklin d. roosevelt too,

he's Lincoln, he's Christ -

there's no name he won't heist -

but no matter the clothes, we see through.

So, now make your own

paper emperor, throne,

but with costumes much closer to fact:

he's stalin, he's mao,

he's il duce (and how!) -

such a paper doll perfidy packed.

When his party's done

comes the best of the fun

an end fit for dear leader's birthday:

your paper schlemiel

who would have us all kneel...

crumple it up and throw it away.

 

 

 

 

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