So it appears in the end
That the swamp was much deeper
Perhaps lies came easier
Since words are so much cheaper
He stepped right into the mess
With zero intent to clean
Dumping vials of vileness
‘Til the smell grew too obscene
The fetid, foul funk backed up
Bubbling in from parts unknown
Seeping into every pore
Rotting us down to the bone
And though the retch is gone now
Cleanup may all be in vain
No chemical reaction
Can remove this bloody stain
Primed, we’re ready to move on
Though some resist the sea change
At home, among the sewage
Ceding nothing in exchange
We can leave the past behind
Look forward to the sunrise
Wipe away the residue
The infection slowly dies
If we hope for change to grow
In this “boggy” politic
We must strive for consensus
Disarming the lunatic
And even as we reach out
Haggard hands aching with pain
We can not avert our eyes
From this ever-present stain
For now, the tide is ebbing
And the stench has been subdued
Hope springs from the horizon
We choose civil over crude
We all must bear the onus
Of responsibility
Never to let the rot spread
With reckless impunity
We’re bound by a common goal
To live lives as close to free
Striving to build a new world
To dream of democracy
Though foregone this conclusion
That the mark shall still remain
Perhaps one day it’ll fade to
The memory of a stain
Mannino Acid 