SUNSET IN PURGATORIO

by Earl J. Wilcox


They do tours like rock stars, divas
belting out one final aria, fading baseball
players trotting the bases one more time.
Political hacks take farewell tours as if
they have brought peace in our time,
fed the hungry, clothed the sick, secured
justice for all, found cures for cancer,
HIV, diabetes, dyslexia, bulimia, herpes—
or heartbreak. Backslappers gather round,
give a rousing sendoff to the governor
who discovered his soul mate in Argentina ,
dumped his wife and four sons, abandoned
the people who elected him. Oh ancient Homer,
Virgil, Dante, Shakespeare where are you now
that we need you to remind us once more
of the frailty of man, the duplicity of those
in high places, the gullibility of all who work
for progress, hope in vain for leaders we seek.


Earl J. Wilcox writes about aging, baseball, literary icons, politics, and southern culture. His work appears in more than two dozen journals; he is a regular contributor to The New Verse News. More of Earl's poetry appears at his blog, Writing by Earl.
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