Rushing With Faith On Promise Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

"Hurry. Hurry this up.
No. Much too small.
Pick a much bigger boulder.
Then quickly begin carving,
My image on it.
Where is my 'glam squad'?
Here...
Take my binoculars.
Nowhere in the distance,
Have they yet appeared."

And as those hopeful supporters,
Ride the train of Promise.
Enter into a long and darkened tunnel.
With faith intact.
A clapping that began,
As Promise turns around a bend.
Noticed is the brightest of light.
At the end of the tunnel.
Beginning for them to slowly dim.
Their rejoicing stops!

"I admit I am impressed.
The boulder picked is huge.
But the image of me?
Is smaller than I expected.
Remove it.
Rush more on top of that mountain.
I see the one I want.
Hand to me my binoculars.
Geeessshhh.
That train is longer than I believed.
Good.
It had slowed down.
But why is it now,
Look as if to be gaining speed.
Will YOU IDIOTS HURRY UP.
YES. THAT'S THE ONE.
GET IT DOWN HERE.
WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS...
INDECISIVENESS! "


The people on Promise,
Begin again to roar and applaud.
This time with a request,
Delivered to the engineer.
That a must it is,
To ignore and forget...
Speed regulations.
And rules of laws to break.
They all are wishing, it
As fast as possible...
An arrival achieved,
To clear the tunnel.
With a getting to greet the light.
Before whatever it is that dims it.
Again begins to end from their sight.

"YOU ALL ARE THE DUMBEST OF NUTS.
DON'T CARVE MY IMAGE,
ON THAT BOULDER UP THERE!
BRING IT DOWN HERE.
IN FRONT OF THE TUNNEL.
THEN CARVE MY IMAGE ON IT.
THIS WILL GIVE ME,
MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME...
TO DECIDE IF I WISH,
IT TO BE RETURNED.
NEXT TO....
WHAT'S HIS NAME.
WITH AN HONESTY FAR MORE APPEALING."

Promise approaches.
And faith on it riding...
Gains.
With unrelenting sustained power.
The people on it scream.

"Look.
I am tired of SCREAMING.
How many times I have to remind you,
There is a difference between...
The pancake used on my face,
For studio appearances.
Than the one used for 'live' TV.
All of you.
All of you are fired."

-But...
Your Magnificence?
What about the tunnel?
What about the train? -

"If I can not deliver,
That 'look' my fans adore.
They will never again believe,
My love for them is genuine.
Cover the tunnel,
With the latest portrait of me.
Hugging the immigrants we hired."

-You demanded that be hung,
Atop the Washington Bridge.-