My boys have taken to Dr. Seuss in a big way lately, so I've been re-introduced to the good doctor as I read his poems aloud to them at night. As I read to my boys, I am struck by how the rhymes speak not only to children, but contain both parody and commentary on the greater world around us. By changing up a few words, very often, these silly verses apply to current events and the ever-changing headlines about never-changing issues that make up American life. Our first attempt  Barry the POTUS   (based on "Yertle the Turtle") was so well-received that we're coming back with a second helping based on "The Zax". We hope you enjoy it.

The Reps

The day before today, as I thought of this poem
In the land of DC, at the Capitol dome
Came a Right-Going Rep, And a Left-Going Rep
Marching direct at each other on the Capitol step.

And it happened that both of them came to a place,
Where they bumped. There they stood
Foot to foot ,
Face to face.

"Look here now!" the Right-Going Rep said "I say!
You are blocking my path. You are right in my way.
I'm a Right-Going Rep and I always go right.
Get out of my way, while the day is still light."

"Who is in whose way?" snapped the Left-Going Rep
"I always go left, making left going steps.
So you're in MY way! And I ask you to move
And let me go left, in my left-going groove."

Then the Right-Going Rep puffed his chest up with pride
"I never" he said "take a step to one side
And I'll prove to you that I won't change my ways
If I have to keep standing for fifty-nine days!"

And I'll prove to YOU," yelled the Left-Going Rep
That I can stand here on the Capitol Step
For fifty-nine years, for I live by a rule
That I learned as a boy back in Left-Going school.

Never budge! That's my rule. Never budge to the right
Not a foot, not an inch, and with all of my might
I'll stay here not budging! I can and I will.
If it makes you and me and the whole world stand still!"

Well...

Of course the world didn't stand still . It went forth.
In the East and the West and the South and the North,
And it did so in spite of the two stubborn Reps
And left them unbudged on the Capitol steps.

Common Sense Dictates

I think that this time we can leave it at enjoying a chuckle, and having a weekend free of the madness that is dumped on us during the 24-7 non-news cycle. There will be more than enough for us to blow a gasket on come Monday. Hopefully, we can take some comfort in the fact that little of what The Reps do reaches back into our daily lives, and when it does, we notice and make the needed corrections. We still have the power to do that - This is America.

RLB