A brief “News Poem” on the pending shutdown of Minnesota’s state government.
Running a state is no big piece of cake
It takes lots of courage through give and through take.
At the end of the day when they’ve all had their say
Our elected officials all want it their way.
But today there’s no center, just angry decree –
“Shut it down, lock it up, throw away the key!”
Through long winter months as they met and made speeches
And collected per diem like so many leeches
The hope stayed alive as they’d fuss and then fiddle
That somehow they’d work to come down through the middle.
But they had an agenda that they kept silently –
“Shut it down, lock it up, throw away the key!”
While the clock moved ahead on a slow steady ticker
They’d rant and then rave through the bluster and bicker
But now that the days are much longer and sunny
We’re hitting the day when we run out of money.
Without a new budget only one way can be –
“Shut it down, lock it up, throw away the key!”
The courts may decide that the Troopers will ride
Along with some things that the state must provide.
But the rest will be closed as the way is imposed
By a narrow agenda that now is exposed.
How it all settles in will be something to see –
“Shut it down, lock it up, throw away the key!”
All lost in the game is that nothing’s the same –
What used to be “politics” now’s pretty lame.
It’s all for the win and some joyless chagrin –
Compromise comes off as weakness and sin.
There’s no room in the chant for some real decency.
“Shut it down, lock it up, throw away the key!”
Money is power, selfish is good, screw society,
“Shut it down, lock it up, throw away the key!”
Barataria - The work of Erik Hare 
Playing partisan games while…WAIT! DAMMIT!!! My car license is due in July!
Excellent! I know these are a lot of work and it shows but these poems are your best, keep it up!
I can’t believe it’s come to this. There is no way they can avoid a shutdown at this point. People are going to hate them for it but they just don’t have another plan.
Thanks, everyone. This was supposed to be more fun, but I couldn’t write a fun one (been thinking about it for weeks). When I read the Senate briefing against continuing any services at all this is what came to mind – not a lot of fun, but hey.
But…but…My car license is STILL due!!!
My guess is that you get a pass until the fix things. So you may not have to do it in 2011. 🙂
It’s really sad that it has come down to this.
It is very sad. I did want to do a more upbeat poem, but I couldn’t.
I’m not exactly sure WHY I punched the “like” button above, and I’m not exactly sure why I would comment on “poetry” [whatever THAT is], but I was offered a doggie-treat to comment here. AR-AROOO!!!
very good
Very good!
Thanks everyone! I’d like to do these more often, but a silly poem is no substitute for a real explanation. In this case … well, I can’t explain why it got this far, to be honest! 🙂
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Nice work, Erik.
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