Bluestem Prairie recommends an arguably Lutheran approach to South Dakota’s poet laureate kerfuffle by rallying writers to a ministry of all rhymers:
Given that South Dakotans are a resourceful bunch, Bluestem suggests that we use our Freedom to write unofficial poetry for important moments in the state’s official life.
Perhaps we could start with a poetry contest, with our governor as the subject for ditties in three forms: haiku, limericks, and sonnets. I’d have to work on meter for the limerick division, as the headline on this post illustrates, though it’s okay to settle for imperfect rhymes for “Castlewood.” And given South Dakota’s literary heritage, perhaps “lariat” is the word to use in the second line.
What better way to break the power of the poetry society?
…Dirty hippies, defend the state’s doggerel and woke heritage! Let a hundred flowers bloom; let a hundred schools of thought contend! Write that poesy ripped from the headlines (or not if haiku’s your thing) [Sally Jo Sorensen, “There Once Was a Gal from Castlewood/ Who Didn’t Pick a Laureate When She Knew She Could,” Bluestem Prairie, 2023.07.11].
I’m game:
There once was a Governor named Noem
Who thought, “Those darn liberals—I’ll show ’em!”
She hired Hillsdale to write standards
That stink like old man turds
And deserve ridicule in prose and in poem.
Sally Jo and I welcome your rhythmetric submissions
To praise or lambaste your favorite politicians.
In shadows cast by restless minds,
A beacon gleams, where hope unwinds.
Liberalism’s light, profound and true,
Champions equality for me and you.
It casts aside oppressive chains’ cruel plight,
Embracing progress, fairness, and what’s right.
Oh, guiding star, your ideals shine through,
Liberalism, may your flame forever renew. – Foundling Group
Doom scrolling,
Zoom trolling,
Gloom polling:
This is why we can never have nuthin’ nice.
Atlas had to poo
He clenched his massive rectum
And out dropped Kristi.
Noem’s a liar
Pants on FIRE!
Not from desire
her aspiratiions much higher
and like a flat tire
she goes thump thump
and sounds so familiar
cuz she lies like drumpf!
People say a passel would
Rhyme nicely with castlewood
And apple pie and Motherhood
Not to mention Brotherhood
Poetic license Underwood
Deviled Ham is in the details.
Rewild Mt Rushmore
Gawd, I love it!!!!! Keep the rhyme comin’!!!
We have a problem in our state.
One that’s conceited and full of hate.
She walks on rugs hand-woven with silken threads.
It might as well be the people’s necks upon which she trods and treads.
The lazy problem isn’t caused by commoners not doing their own share.
The phony problem is a rhinestone cowgirl who twirls her big teased kangalo hair.
This inept problem causes pain, illness and preventable death.
The sanctimonious problem is not the border, schools nor parents, not the weed or even meth.
The insincere problem’s unthought prayers are never prayed or bothered to be sent.
The racist problem condemns the poor and shames the less fortunate to repent.
The lying problem thinks she is better than our throats on which she stands.
The unkind problem is hoping our voice is choked even if she has to do it with her own two hands.
Our insolent problem keeps getting bigger and has become a throbbing growth.
Sever it and live or let it feed. You must choose because you can’t have both.
Lop off the wasteful problem and cauterize the wound.
The inner problem needs to be examined real hard, that is, after it is pruned.
Long live the People.
Freedom’s just a word,
South Dakota’s vast expanse,
Life’s toil chains not grudz.
Groovy vibes in the air,
South Dakota’s freedom fair,
Nature’s love we share.
Nom Nom Nom
Gravy Taters
grudz, the apostrophe “s” goes behind freedom not Dakota. Your state’s freedom’s only fair at best and then only on a rare day.
Bake a man a pie and he’ll learn to divide by seven. Teach a man piety and he’ll crucify the apples then say they died for his sins.
Nifty vibes abound,
South Dakota, land of freedom,
Where spirits dance free.
My dear Grudznick, I believe your masterful poem has been the victim of autocorrect or some other Russian interference: the last line ought to read:
“White Republicans” dance free.
Glad I could help.
Not to mention too many syllables.
Gravy taters muck
Occupied Lakota ground
With bloodied sisters.
Trump and I watched fireworks here
Pillow Guy showed up to cheer
Shoot them off – I think they’re cool
Mary Fitzsimmons from Boston Mass
went wading in water up to her ……elbows.
Magat red states across the way
decided to sue and save poetry that day.
They beseeched the courts and begged for salvation
Irreperable harm has been foisted on our nation.
Our way can’t survive if poems don’t rhyme
Throw them all in jail, let them do the time.
Meek and mild olde Onion had enough of this bull
And shouted from the rooftop magats are dull
and jump to conclusions not knowing the facts
great poetry needs time for the rhymes to act
Had they patience to wait and atone for this sin
Like Mary they could have covered their ass when the tide came in.
(I stole the first 2 lines from a western paperback written by Jonas Ward)
poem:
In the state of the state of South Dakota
With a system of no system, following no rule of law is the symptom
Of a Noem-‘n-clature ! Where …
“Freedom’s just another word for ( everything ) to lose *
Every one can lose –
An education for and representing all
Reproductive rights
Indigenous folks – their rights, their lives are still ignored while
More and more ways to rape this precious land – carbon capture, oil, gold, uranium are “explored”
Lose your land? Lose your heritage?
Educators are muzzled, and students struggle – Why is it wrong to know the facts, question and understand others’ lives and perspectives? Learning and knowledge is not rote but interactive
A Noem-‘n-clature is an omen of a system not meant to be
“Freedom” is not just another word.
“Freedom” is a verb!
Speak up ! Act! Vote! Support your neighbors! Read any damn book you want and share them!
Trans means “across”/ 1st Amendments rights across the spectrum of our population!
Be in community and solidarity!
*. Me and Bobby McGee” by Kris Kristofferson
Poetry does not have to rhyme to be good, folks.
Linda Hasselstrom, one of South Dakota’s best and best-known poets, turned down the Poet Laureate position some years ago.
https://windbreakhouse.wordpress.com/2015/02/27/poet-laureate-of-south-dakota-not-right-now-thanks/
She is the first Living Poet of Merit, being appointed as such in 2020, I think. The Poet of Merit is a new position created by the SD State Poetry Society. Similar to what Hasselstrom suggested in her blog. They appointed one living and one deceased poet to the position.
I will try a cweepy twitter rhyme:
capitolhunters
@capitolhunters
Jun 30
“Since people are focused today on the Supreme Court & the influence of Leonard Leo, part of the “religious freedom” Becket Fund, let’s remember some strange things Trump did just before Jan 6, that look like quid pro quos: ‘patriotic education’, & a proclamation on Becket. 1/
On Dec. 28, 9 days before the Capitol attack, Trump is obsessed over overturning the election. And yet he takes time to cite “God is the supreme ruler” & say “no legislator must be allowed to.. require religious believers to violate their consciences.” Like today’s SC ruling. 2/
These aren’t Trump’s words; he was doing a favor for hard-right Catholic interests. Trump is transactional – they had done something for him.
It is also beyond creepy that a week before Jan 6, Trump uses the code for violence: “will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?” 3/
The other thing Trump did that day that looks like a quid pro quo is moving forward the “1776 Commission”, led by the chair of Hillsdale College, to craft a plan for ‘patriotic education’ that could only be implemented if Trump got a 2nd term. 4/
Hillsdale College was so influential under Trump that it was called a ‘feeder for the Trump administration’. Now pushing to radicalize local school boards, gut public schools. Its most famous graduate (interestingly, a hard-right Catholic): Erik Prince. 5/
Were Trump’s favors to the religious right on Dec. 28 really quid pro quos? Some decision WAS made that day. Alex Jones knows what: on the 29th he said “The ‘Twilight Zone’ nature of this went up to a whole new level yesterday… you’re going to want to be in DC on the 6th.” 6/
In a tweet it certainly appears Trump has Noem by the teat.
One lightweight magat pol’s greatest monument to freedumb
Might be indigenous nations greatest monument to shame and broken treaties.
Rewild Mt Rushmore.
“Will someone take this stone from my shoe”— is apparently a classic Sicilian line. Very similar to Trump’s presidential proclamation St. Thomas Beckett quote 3/ above. From NATCHEZ BURNING, Greg Iles (2014)