b-day GW

today is G’s birthday
and what must he think

he might not mind so much
except he saw the war
led it
watched the soldiers die

watched them freeze
at Valley Forge
and then
perhaps with barely thawed enthusiasm
row
then march on Trenton
for the win

and he knew
enough
to resist majesty
mot likely would not care
for
Apotheosis
though he likely would appreciate
the talent
in the
art
and maybe dallying with God
being
Episcopalian

except one Sunday in Carlisle
when it seemed meet
to go
Presbyterian

but letting God be God
should a monarch be appropriate
but
no one
as one
under God
on Earth
and in deciding earthly matters
leave all people
to decide

except for the flawed
frankly awful quantities
to make
of women and
of slaves

since to have a nation we must
all
be or become democratized

happy day
George
and maybe happy nation
you secured
and must make up
and grow
negotiate a peace inside
and
then model
as the French have tried and then
(as
well)

to be this kind of
presence
in the world

c l couch


photo by Laura Nyhuis on Unsplash 
Mount Rushmore, Mount Rushmore UT, SD, USA
(never finished as a monument)

a day too that’s good for thinking about tart, red, sweet cherry pie
(sorry, had to say this)