My friend John S. Hall (King Missile) wrote this while watching the inauguration of President Biden. I’m trying not to be on Facebook, but I went there and found this. Here is John’s poem.

Poem No. 70

Live Poeming the Inaugural:

 1
 I don't know
 Who writes Klobuchar's speeches
 I like what she's saying
 But I don't like how she's saying it
 2
 Roy Blunt?
 Okay, sure, I guess so
 And wait--
 He chaired the inaugural committee
 Four years ago?
 He helped inaugurate the last guy?
 Oh hell, no
 I will take a pee break now
 No, actually I will make some tea
 And note that Blunt pointed out
 That somehow "more perfect"
 Is less perfect 
 Than "perfect"
 That's interesting
 Kind of
 Okay, now I will pee
 4
 Okay, I'm back
 Did I miss anything?
 Oh, ok, it's prayer time
 With Father Leo O'Donovan
 He says we come on our knees
 But he's not on his knees
 I guess the knees are metaphorical
 Hey, this is a good prayer
 I'm going to clasp my hands
 And close my eyes now
 5
 The color guard
 Blah Blah
 Oh, but now
 Lady Gaga
 I think she ought to have worn a mask
 Until the singing part
 Oh...she's singing it pretty good
 It's a tough song to sing well
 6
 Andrea Hall
 Reciting and signing
 The pledge of allegiance
 I liked that
 7
 Justice Sonia Sotomayor
 Used to live around the block
 From my mama's apartment
 In a building that didn't exist
 When I grew up that apartment
 I really liked Kamala Harris's' smile
 I can't help but feel happy for her
 And for us
 And I can't help feeling
 A little optimistic right now
 8
 Hello, J. Lo
 Singing a Woody Guthrie
 Mashed up with 
 America the Beautiful
 Very nice
 9
 I can't help but think
 How much this Justice Roberts
 Has fucked us
 And how much he will fuck us
 He is still fairly young
 (Although older than me
 and I'm not that young, but still)
 And has plenty of fuck you 
 Left in him
 10
 Hail to the Chief:
 The youngest Senator
 At the time of his swearing in
 And the oldest president
 At the time of his swearing in
 Quite a ride for this guy
 11
 I am told he's not officially the president
 Until noon
 Which is still nine minutes away
 12
 Klobuchar says she's the first person
 To introduce the 46th president
 But technically, he's still not president
 Seven minutes to go
 13
 I'm not sure about that "indivisible" part
 But I guess we'll see
 14
 I'm bummed that Carter couldn't make it
 To the inauguration
 But I'm so fucking glad
 He didn't die
 While the piece of shit 
 Was president
 15
 My whole soul is in it
 That's fucking beautiful
 This is a good fucking speech
 This almost president guy
 Makes a good case for unity
 And he's wise to acknowledge
 That some of us think it's
 A foolish fantasy
 The battle is perennial
 And victory is never assured
 But enough of us have come together
 To carry us all forward
 That makes sense
 That's believable
 16
 It's noon
 He's president now
 He made it
 We made it
 We can breathe again
 17
 These invocations
 Of the Civil War
 And of the protests 108 years ago
 For women's suffrage
 18
 Ah, Saint Augustine!
 A nation is "a multitude 
 Of rational beings 
 United by the
 The common objects
 Of their love"
 A beautiful quote
 But it begs the question
 Doesn't it?
 Makes me wonder
 Are we a nation?
 This idea that we can be
 A nation Is a beautiful idea
 But do you ever wonder
 Whether we had been better off
 If we had just let the South secede?
 And if states move to secede again
 Would John Roberts and company
 Let them?
 Is that the right move?
 It seems pretty fucking tempting sometimes
 19
 Okay, Mr. President
 So far, so good
 20
 I think I might have
 Preferred Chis Gaines
 To Garth Brooks
 But now I'm just 
 Picking Nits
 Okay, I sang along at the end
 I too was lost
 I'm not sure I'm found quite yet
 Yikes
 Garth was totally not 
 Social distancing there again
 21
 Oh, that was good of Roy Blount
 To recall Obama singing Amazing Grace
 22
 Amanda Gorman
 Her Wikipedia page
 Says "She recited a poem 
 At Joe Biden's inauguration 
 On January 20, 2021'
 But right now
 It should say
 She "is reciting a poem..."
 But now I'm just
 Picking Nits
 "There is always light
 If only we're brave enough
 To see it
 If only we're brave enough
 To be it"
 The poem is called
 The Hill We Climb
 I will read it slowly
 Later today
 I liked it a lot
 23
 Hallelujah, Glory Hallelujah
 The Rev. Dr. Sylvester S. Beaman
 Brought it
 24
 The commentators noted
 That as promised
 The last president's name
 Was not mentioned once
 A nice touch
 25
 Happy New President!!
 1/20/2021
   

Personal Note: Amanda Gorman’s poem was the highlight for me. Wow. Powerful. Inspiring. Feeling like, yeah, I wanna write again – cuz it can be that powerful.

I am relieved the inauguration happened peacefully and that we have a new president (even if he isn’t Bernie or Elizabeth).

Peace! Have an amazing day.

Header image; detail from a painting I am currently working on.