The Politician / Politicians

1       The Politician

Like a parasite in search of a host
       like a pathogen out on the prowl
like a microbe that boasts of having the most
                     as it plays to the credulous crowd

true to his mission  the politician lives to infect
       and by striking voters at their gullible best
              aims  to hoodwink a number sufficient
to sanction the feathering of his self-serving nest;

a number sufficient  to bring to fruition
the deepest desires of his venal ambition
       to feast   off the sweetly surreptitious
       deliciously dishonest
       off-the-record perks that enrich official office.


An image-driven  media-savvy
snappy-dressing  glad-hand-happy
                     undercover corporate lackey

a bona fide  photo-opping fake
a greasy weasel   a canny chameleon
                     a shifty well-groomed snake

       he's a poor excuse for a man
       his tailored suit his can't-miss plan
       a counterfeit smile tattooed on his face
       a ubiquitous mitt reaching out for a shake

              and just in case
              the occasion should call for a hug
              his tactical arms are always in place
                     to cynically milk a phony embrace.


2       Politicians

Born to schmooze
and abuse their constituents' trust
pols   feed off the body of state-induced dues
       — much   as the needs of hungry rust
       are met by the flesh of fresh wet steel —

and when not hustling funds for upcoming runs
they're sure to be busy with the similar business
of furthering  their even more personal interests
                     and those of their principal backers

       under the ageless shameless cover
       of ostensibly acting on behalf of the masses
              for the good of their sisters and brothers.


Genuine   buzzword lobbing
slogan tossing   sound bite dropping fakes

              these devious weasels
                     these cunning chameleons
                            these slick unprincipled snakes

practiced as they are
at raising rattling great rackets
                     (for all to hear and watch
                     each time they trot out a promise)

              are still more skilled at slithering off
              to where they're neither seen nor heard
                                   the instant time arrives
                                   to keep their dubious word.


Paragons of hypocrisy   pillars of mendacity
       straining to maintain their altruistic fiction
       politicians   are absolute towers of tenacity

in upholding the age-old tradition
of being shallow and hollow;   in defending
       the privilege of pretending to selflessly lead
while the facts insist they do little but follow
the wishes and whims of their ungoverned greed.