by Phyllis Frakt
“Want to understand 2024? Look at 1948.” —Nate Cohn, The New York Times, January 4, 2024
“I trust the people, because when they know the facts, they do the right thing.” —Harry S. Truman, November 1, 1948
Give ‘em hell! they yelled at me.
Then I made 352 campaign speeches
in 31,000 miles of whistle-stops.
Millions came – they cheered,
learned the facts, did the right thing.
I have to admit I inflated a bit,
but you can’t accuse me
of confusing the issues
or spewing fake news
like today’s raving orange outrage
with his distortions and contortions,
his lies, denials, indictments, and trials.
My time of truth and trust fell
to an entire age that gives you hell.
in 31,000 miles of whistle-stops.
Millions came – they cheered,
learned the facts, did the right thing.
I have to admit I inflated a bit,
but you can’t accuse me
of confusing the issues
or spewing fake news
like today’s raving orange outrage
with his distortions and contortions,
his lies, denials, indictments, and trials.
My time of truth and trust fell
to an entire age that gives you hell.
Phyllis Frakt writes poetry in New Jersey. Her previous poems in The New Verse News are "Teach to the Test," "Caught in Between," "Not in Our Star...," and "Believing is Seeing."
