That noble tradition
born in nineteenth century England
has, in the twenty-first century,
gone the way of Yellow Pages,
paper maps and pay phones.
Once happy warriors,
inspired orators in search
of lofty ideas, our leaders
have succumbed to the lure
of wealth and power,
slithered into the politics of
character demonization and
look-into-the-camera lies.
Toxic fallout has oozed
beyond the Beltway, infiltrating
Red State/Blue State cities
and towns, workplaces, churches,
clubs and families. Old and dear
friends, cousins, siblings, even
parents and children, whipped into
frenzies of righteous indignation
and unable to bridge the divide,
have unceremoniously forsworn
topical discussions. Both sides,
firmly rooted in warring camps,
yearn for and dread the
inevitable reckoning,
I told you so.
Ann Reisfeld Boutté is a writer of poetry, essays, and feature stories. Her work has appeared in many publications including The Southern Poetry Anthology, Volume IV, Texas Poetry Calendars, and Wingbeats: Exercises & Practice in Poetry. She has a Master’s Degree in journalism and has worked as a feature writer for a national wire service. She was a Juried Poet in the Houston Poetry Fest in 2001, 2005, 2009 and 2010.