The Candidates

They smile, cajole, affect a toothy grin,
Shake hands, make promises, stick out their chin,
Kiss filthy babies with abandon and delight,
Secretly gargle disinfectants after such a blight,
In fields of corn they stand behind an oxen team,
While on the side they quickly take an antihistamine,
They'll pledge to farmers subsidies,
To businessmen a profit's increase,
To union labor wages for no work at all,
Promise to short men that they'll make them tall,
Give pensions, welfare, benefits galore,
Accompanied by tax decreases by the score,
They promise whites that they'll curb blacks,
And vow to blacks, they'll check white cats,
To doves they gently promise peace,
To hawks they forecast war's increase,
Oh yes, those ordinary men
Will do for power what they can,
For good men are too dear for jobs like these,
Such tasks require mediocre expertise.

Alfred Charasz
Copyright 2006 Alfred Charasz