Monday, July 20, 2009

An Obama Poem: Doing It On The Fly

I think Barack Obama's greatest singular achievement in his six months as President of the United States was swatting that fly during a television interview. FDR never had reflexes like that.

But I don't think President Obama has dealt with more dangerous members of the insect world quite as well:

Doing It On The Fly

As you spoke about global strife
That buzzin’ fly came into your life
You couldn’t let it just float away
How dare it interrupt your interview on Today
When you kicked it with your shoe
Were you thinking of Netanyahu?

That moment enhanced your narrative
Yet what really was the imperative
Flies pose no threat, are no source of doom
Unless they are played by Jeff Goldblum
When confronted by more dangerous insects
Your conduct is more circumspect

Take the Venezuelan cockroach
Who took a direct approach
Giving you a very big book
You grabbed its tentacles & shook
Triumphantly it crawled away
Dissidents looked at you with dismay

The North Korean mosquito
Its intention isn’t incognito
When it takes a firm stand
You’re not so quick to raise a hand
Your response to its missiles
Has thus far been futile

Then there are Iranian killer bees
You know the ones you aim to appease
When the worker bees clamored for reform
The queen bees closed ranks and swarmed
You were unwilling to do the right thing
Well because they might sting

Casting a wide net
Is no sure bet
You might wish to catch them with honey
But you spent all our money
I know you have your reasons why
Or are you just doing it on the fly

So when you speak about making global strides
And something else comes into our lives
That just won’t float away
What are you going to do today?

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