Gigantic. Completely incongruous
to the landscape, yet perfectly fit.
Niched into rock from history. Bold,
implacable: genius of the determined carver.
Movies frivolous have filmed here
day and night. Proud white faces like bone
penetrating an ink-cerulean sky.
Tourists gawking, children littering.
Washington, the first: surveyor-soldier,
savior-general of our nation… precise,
unsmiling and devout.
Lincoln, the greatest, the doubter:
holding the torn, split country in his hands,
on his knees to God—shot.
Jefferson, exquisite thinker-designer:
our sharpest “Declaration” maker… (yet
deemed Revelation written by the insane).
Roosevelt, the “Square Deal” Teddy bear:
Rough Rider—maker of national parks,
arbiter of foreign policy.
All above the pines and time
everlasting memorial…
we watch in awe, remember little—
yap on phones, glimpse hail: the rocks, the show.
Rick lives in Wichita, Kansas. He has published three books of poetry. He has also been published in several literary journals; authored 3 screenplays, 2 large stage plays; and an m/m erotic-romantic fantasy with a GOT ambiance (Chronicles of the Mighty and the Fallen, under Richard McHenry).
