The Houses of Bourbon
Poet Dale K. Nichols lends some rhyme and rhythm to the pro-democracy movement. Proceeds from paid subscriptions go to support pro-democracy organizations.
Welcome to this issue of Never Trump Poetry, brought to you by poet Dale K. Nichols and editor Michael Broder. You might want to settle in with a rocks glass and a bit of your favorite whiskey for this one.
Dale K. Nichols
The Houses of Bourbon
During the War of Independence
we had the support of France.
Louis XVI was then its king,
from the House of Bourbon by chance.
In gratitude for his support
before it was part of a state,
a county on the western frontier
put the Bourbon name on its plate.
Later there, in Kentucky,
an industry was born,
using rye and yeast and barley,
but predominantly corn.
It came to be known as bourbon,
(for the County, not the king).
The stuff of Manhattans and straight-up Old Fashioneds
(a few of my favorite things).
A major export for Kentucky
the nation’s Bourbon State,
Mitch McConnell was shaken, awakened and stirred
by threats to retaliate
against his hometown product
by our friends in the EU
if the tariffs Trump vowed to impose on their wines
did in fact as he promised go through.
So a funny thing happened—this time not by chance—
to a bill on the way to the forum,
when McConnell broke ranks with the GOP
in a major breach of decorum
to side with the Dems on legislation
to reign in Trump’s favorite power
to unilaterally pass tariffs
with his Sharpie at any hour.
Miraculously, the very next day,
Trump’s tariffs on wines were spared.
And the Houses of Bourbon
breathed sighs of relief
in Kentucky and over there.
Editor’s Note:
As reported in the Financial Times on April 7,
The EU will hit the US with 25 per cent tariffs on a range of goods in response to its duties on aluminum and steel, but has exempted bourbon after heavy lobbying from France, Italy and Ireland, which are seeking to shield their alcohol industries from the escalating trade war.
Regarding wine, the article continues:
As well as whiskey, after consultations with member states, wine and dairy products have also been removed from the proposal, according to a list of countermeasures obtained by the Financial Times.
—Ed.
About the team
In the words of Dale K. Nichols, Poet
Whatever I might feel about the merit of particular aspects of the MAGA agenda, I believe that Trump, as the movement’s standard-bearer and chief instigator, is a clear and present danger to the future of America and our way of life. That we the people decided to elect him to a second term points to certain dark undercurrents in our nation’s psyche that had been pushed to the shadows for decades until they were recently coaxed back into broad daylight. For those of you who are Harry Potter fans, I believe that Tom Riddle has reemerged as Lord Voldemort, and we Muggles are in the midst of an ugly Wizarding War that has already suffered many casualties.
In the words of Michael Broder, Editor
I started Indolent Books in 2015 as a haven for poets over 50 without a first book and a welcoming literary space for women, people of color, queer and trans writers, and others who do not fit molds or conform to expectations. I am drawn to Dale’s ability as a poet to reach a general readership with his message of resistance to autocracy and his activist support for democracy. While I am indeed a Harry Potter fan, my pop-culture metaphor for the Orange Menace is Burgermeister Meisterburger, the sadistic, oppressive, and abusive mayor of Sombertown who despises toys—and will arrest anyone who plays with or owns a toy—in the classic 1970 stop-motion Christmas television special, Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town.