Antique old men

Antique old men

I’m sorry that I hold it against you
that you powder your hair, wear
big-buttoned breeches, and - well,
look like you belong at Henry’s Diner.

These prejudices of mine keep me
from seeing the fearless, fire-breathing,
risk-takers that you were bristling beneath
the myth of years and garments of your day.

That you are carved in stone now
doesn’t mean you were not
impetuous, energetic, inspired,
and hackle-raised-courageous in your day, Ben.

That you are statue-straight
and sheathed in black broadcloth
does not darken the incandescent life you were
to woodsmen, farm-boys, and tradesmen

who knew you to possess
the raw intellect, integrity, and guts
to take on the Goliath of your age
with only right as your weapon, George.

Forgive my jokes about
dollar bills and tired aphorisms.
These images don’t do you justice.
I hope we do

I try to always have a few Picturing America images on display in the library. I often ask students or staff to think about captioning these images with poems or essays. This was my response that I posted next to the images.