Ode to a Moral Country

I was helping my daughter with an English assignment in which she needed to write a poem in iambic pentameter, styled after Marc Antony’s funeral oration for Caesar.  She was having trouble getting started, so I wrote her a sample to illustrate how this could go.  For grins, I thought I’d present it here:

Ode to a Moral Country

Concerned about the future? Have no fears

I come to bury what we think – so sad

Our celebrations tell us that we’re good

I’m sure I’m just a cynic – oh — my bad

We treat the sick when money’s to be made

Insurance companies lobby Congress pure

To keep their mighty profit streams alive

But we’re a moral country to be sure

We back the crim’nal acts of Israel

Illegal occupations, lend a hand

But can’t we simply cut the flow of cash?

Don’t think too hard cause we’re a moral land

Troop levels triple since Barack’s inaug

A campaign promise he would clearly drop

New loads of men to fight the Taliban

But is it sane to think the wars will stop?

Wall Street bankers take us for a ride

Smoke cigars while common folks endure

Don’t hold your breath for meaningful reform

But we’re a moral country, to be sure.

Tea party thinking has to rule the day

But has the hate speech really helped us yet?

Incendiary talk show hosts are cool

We take moral high ground, not to fret

Without campaign reform we have no prayer

We’re hamsters on a wheel; we’re really through

Our future’s gone, just stick us with a fork

I may be just a cynic – how bout you?