Shadows in the Night: A Nation's Lament

In the land of stars and stripes so bold,

A circus plays out, stale and old.

Left and right, a shrieking fight,

Casting shadows in the night.

 

Democrats and Republicans vie,

Each pointing with a furious cry,

"He’s a fraud!" "She’s a clown!"

While we all just wear a frown.

 

Is this the best you have to show?

Seriously, is this the peak of the flow?

Two puppets pulled by unseen strings,

Kings of chaos, queens of stings.

 

Candidates clash with vitriol,

No vision, no hope, no soul.

"Not as bad as the other," they claim,

Is this your way to win the game?

 

Sarcasm drips from every speech,

Promising stars, delivering bleach.

Both sides scream, "They're the worst!"

While we citizens just feel cursed.

 

So here’s a question, loud and clear,

To those who lead from the rear:

Is this the best you’ve got to give?

In this grand play, must we live?

 

The state of politics, a tragic jest,

Is this really our very best?

A stage of folly, a dance of dread,

As hope for true leaders lies dead.

 

© Susie Stiles-Wolf