Artwork © Richard Spisak

 

Conservative and Liberal Mind

the divisions between, what conservative and liberal find
are only as wide as the narrowest mind
and never so deep as to keep at bay, the warrior hand,
          or diplomats play

these both it seems, can hold quite dear
a mothers love, a baby’s tear, yet differ so on the
          country’s steer

they both cherish, and hope and hold to breast
a youngsters hope, and elders rest,
yet with party and polity so contest

the cherished dream, the path so grand
will part these friends, confound the trends
that each would nurture, shared goals split ends

each holds his party dear to his heart,
yet seem so to differ just in the art
who governs best would govern least
and nourish health and wealth concede
they both despair of the moderate stare
whose great grey mumblings wander,
that seem not to care – unabashed unaware!

while quite glorious passionately, we play out our part
with our honor high and our rhetoric smart
jousting up another hill, with a will,
all toward the party’s coffers thrilled, the pennies we’ll build
          a wall apart,
with the threadbare honor and the lawyers art.

each with his plan, each with his hope, in party thick, in misanthrope
mutters and marks the passing throng, who seem not to notice,
          not to belong. To the party the team, the banner, the cure
no pledges their signing, no pamphlets allure

Conservatives and liberals find
they’re only as divergent as the narrowest mind
they both cherish freedom, they both really care
they just see a different road over to there

one says laissez faire , one says cest-la-vie
a mere mortal matter of vowels,
portentous difference of cadence

 

Richard Spisak began his artistic career as a light artist in the Lumonics Studios of Mel Tanner, a legendary Light Artist. After serving under Jack Horkheimer as a planetarium operator at the Miami Space-Transit Planetarium, he left to begin traveling with Lumist Kenvin Lyman, whose show Dazzleland Studios traveled across America. Richard later worked as a Laserist with LASERIUM and Laser Productions, served as a technical producer for the festival company PACE Concerts, and later as operations Manager and Senior Producer at WWHP and WTCN-TV in Stuart Florida.

Richard writes for Theatre, TV, radio, and the web. He published two short story collections, Two Small Windows, in a Pair of Mirror Doors, and Between the Silences. Followed by his poetry collection 7370 Allen Drive and the recently released STONE POETRY. Richard also produces “POETS of the East,” a televised webcast featuring poets from across the globe.