I have seen this poem, which Bruce Springsteen posted on his website, posted a few times online, but it bears repeating and it really makes you wonder about the humanity of the current occupants of the White House. Yes, the humanity. The humanities are an important part of our soul, they make us human, they guide our ethics, demonstrate beauty/awe/a spark of the divine, grant us hope and love, bring joy and sorrow, teach us to emphasize and understand each other, and make us realize that we are part of something. It’s just not “me” it’s “we.”
Looking back, George W Bush had reading contests with his staff during his presidency. Clinton would assign books I heard Madeline Albright recently say (she was assigned ‘A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East’ by David Fromkin) and she also had a wonderful way about expressing her views with her brooches/pins. Barbara Bush wrote books about her dogs and both her and Laura were huge advocates for reading. Do you remember when Dana Carvey was invited to the White House by George H W Bush and did his Bush impressions – its very funny, so Google it. Carter wrote poems and painted. Bush paints. The Obama’s post lists of music they listen to and books that they have read and lets not forget Hamilton! The Clinton’s are readers and gardeners. There was no poet at the 2016 inauguration. There are a large number of books and articles on presidential reading habits going back to the Founders and presidential family pets – there will be none about this current occupant. Truman said “Not All Readers Are Leaders, But All Leaders Are Readers.” Can you still be a leader and not a reader? Apparently you can, but a bad nation dividing one.
Anyways here is the poem:
“There’s no art in this White House.
There’s no literature, no poetry, no music.
There are no pets in this White House, no loyal man’s best friend, no Socks the family cat, no kids’ science fairs.
No time when the president takes off his blue suit red tie uniform and becomes human, except when he puts on his white shirt and khaki pants uniform and hides from the American people to play golf.
There are no images of the First Family enjoying themselves together in a moment of relaxation.
No Obamas on the beach in Hawaii moments, or Bushes fishing in Kennebunkport.
No Reagans on horseback, no Kennedys playing touch football on the Cape.
Where’d that country go?
Where did all the fun, the joy and the expression of love and happiness go?
We used to be the country that did the Ice Bucket Challenge and raised millions for charity.
We used to have a President that calmed and soothed the nation instead dividing it, and a First Lady who planted a garden instead of ripping one out.
We are rudderless and joyless.
We have lost the cultural aspects of society that make America great.
We have lost our mojo, our fun, our happiness, our cheering on of others.
The shared experience of humanity that makes it all worth it.
The challenges and the triumphs that we shared and celebrated.
The unique can-do spirit that America has always been known for.
We are lost.
We have lost so much in so short a time.”
-Elayne Griffin Baker
Poem by Elayne Griffin Baker, but posted by the great Bruce Springsteen on October 28, 2020. You can here Bruce recite the poem here https://twitter.com/springsteen/status/1321507795150106624 and read the full poem posted here https://brucespringsteen.net/news/2020/elaine-griffin-baker
(Tweet from https://twitter.com/springsteen/status/1321507795150106624)