96-year-old tees off on Congress

Ben Horack has lived in Charlotte most of his adult life. He was the senior member of Horack Talley, a prominent law firm. Now he's 96 and living in the Southminster Retirement Community. He is amused and frustrated by Congress's ineptitude. So much so that he has taken to verse to decry their inability to govern.

The rhyming and meter are unique, but he captures a sentiment that readers might appreciate. Without further ado, Mr. Horack's poem:

 

TRICK OR TREAT

(Halloween, October 31, 2013)

By Benj. S. Horack

 

October 31 is the special day

That we know as Halloween — When rank and file Americans

Play pranks — sometimes harsh ‘n mean.

But there is a bunch in Washington

That trick and treat throughout the year,

Who act like Demons, Ghosts and Goblins

Each day of their careers.

I refer to our esteemed President

And all 525 members of the Congress

Who purport to represent our Nation,

But seldom show much progress.

These political Ghosts and Goblins

Trick not only their home front neighbors,

But also the various colleagues

With whom they are supposed to labor.

Our intrepid President Barak Obama

Will never go down in flames

As long as he can find someone

Upon whom to place the blame.

Not one of these politicos

Would really be worth his salt

If he weren’t good at pointing fingers

At others in the game of Finding Fault.

Some say that Government Entitlements

Are overdone and deeply flawed —

That they teach us to be dependent

And are also fraught with fraud.

The Dems condemn Republicans

For bringing the Government to a STOP

‘Cause they don’t like Obamacare

And, though lawful, think that it will flop.

Some of them view Nancy Pelosi

As flying around the House Chamber room

Dispensing her legislative wisdom

Comfortable astride her private broom.

Others say: “Bow to Tea Party extremists

‘N we will be knee-deep in clover

But, if we don’t, there’ll be Hell to pay

When the bubbling Tea Pot boils over.”

Our demonic public servants

Have taken our Nation to the brink

In a contest about Debt Ceiling

To see who will be the first to blink.

About these and a bunch of other issues

The 2 sides fuss and fight each day.

Each Party is happy to negotiate

As long as each completely gets its way.

These Ghosts ‘n Goblins are virtuosos

At getting opponents demonized

And Past Masters when it comes

To getting voters confused and tranquilized.

This infighting is characterized

By casting epithets and invectives

And by fabrications and untruths:

To demonize is their sole objective.

Much effort is devoted to things

That help win the next election—

To prevent their legislative careers

From being a sudden vague abstraction,

An area based on treats, not demonic tricks,

Is when all these legislative jerks

Eagerly join together and agree

To preserve all their self-interest perks.

A Spooky treat that is most impressive --

Solving problems on the threshold to explode:

Ghost ‘n Goblin Statesmen play Kick-the-Can

To push these pesky problem down the road.

 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

&

GOD BLESS AMERICA !!!