President’s Day is on Monday. Today Frank Tassone, asked us to write a Haikai poem that talks about a president or presidents past or present. As I read Tessa’s poem today, talking about the presidents on Mount Rushmore, this thought came to mind. See what your think!
Past presidents sit
high on pedestals // seats of
stone // immortalized.
New presidents leave their mark
Scars on the landscape of man
Could their marks reflect
fractured attitudes of us…
Supporters who vote?
Presidents are a mirror…
Take a good look at yourself
Come join us at: https://frankjtassone.com/2019/02/16/haikai-challenge-73-2-16-19-presidents-haiku-senryu-haibun-tanka-haiga-renga/
Check out Tessa’s poem here: https://tessacandoit.com/2019/02/16/haikai-challenge-73-2-16-19-presidents-haiku-senryu-haibun-tanka-haiga-renga/
Picture of Lincoln Memorial: thousandwonders.net
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I like it. It makes you think. That is good!
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Thanks Valerie. I believe that is what poetry should do.
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something worth reflecting upon from my side of the world, as American politics and economics affects Asia more than people realise. They do work for the people, are they listening to the people though?
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Thanks Gina, you have raised a good question. It does go both ways! When we are split 50/50 it can be perceived either way!
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your words were spot on Dwight
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Thank you!
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Dwight, your poem is very true now and in many democracies.
Strongly written too.
Yes, it is the people in a democracy that lift these rulers up on their ” thrones”. For better or worse, that is the truth and yes, it reflects back on us and our society.
A good look, yes. What are truly the values of the day?
miriam
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Thank you Miriam for your great comment! It is easy to point fingers and say,OH MY, but we need to take responsibility for our choices as well.
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President now – a mirror? Scary thought!!
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It really is…. If we all could work together we might not get such extremes for our Presidents!
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This mirror is cracked.
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Maybe that is why we seldom look in it to see ourselves!
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If I ever saw myself in Trump I’d ask to be confined with a straight jacket. I don’t have one good word to say about that man.
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Ha, I am sure! I think I remember hearing some say the same thing about our last president as well!! There are very opposing perspectives here for sure!
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Tricky point, you are what you vote.
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More than we want to admit!
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Yes, it’s taken me years to be that honest.
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Reblogged this on Frank J. Tassone and commented:
#Haiku Happenings #2: Dwight’s latest #tanka sequence for my current #haikai challenge!
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Well said, Dwight!
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Thanks. It is something to think about!
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With all the different factors trying to allow voting to be fair – we do not actually use the true one vote per person. And then of course there are the questions of how the votes are tallied (chad or no chad).
While we do have some more freedoms than others, we are not a complete democracy. Something that I think our forefathers tried to establish. We do need to take responsibility, even those of us who do not like politics. The process is slow but we can, I hope eventually find a mirror we can look in with pride.
I think I found out about Grace via a ‘Mysteries and the Museum’ history show. 🙂
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Thank you for your comment. The process is complicated for sure. Which is why some choose not to vote. I think the president is looking in his mirror and doing the “Snow White thing”!
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I like the mirror idea..leaders are a reflection of their people ‘landscape’ at least to some extent.
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Thanks. I believe you are right!
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Agreed. We all need to take a long look inside . . .
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I hear many people bad-mouthing Trump supporters as idiots and morons and insane … the list goes on. But really? Can such a huge number of Americans be generalized in such terms? Instead we should look in the mirror to see if we are blinded by our own desires and make compromised decisions to try and obtain them. Most people find flag waving more fun than understanding — with everyone one having their favorite flag: religious, political, philosophical, ethnic or whatever. Wave that flag!
Roth, I am not 100% sure of what you wrote, but I hope this response is appropriate to it.
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Thank you for your comment. If you click on my site you can read it three days back. They all go in order! I once wrote a poem a couple of years ago called, Give Me Comfort… Not Truth. I may have to reivive it again!!
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