A group of Democratic Senators
many of them oldsters
-though by no means all-
reminisce about the days
when they worked with Republicans
Republicans used to drink with us
eat with us, celebrate with us
we used to quote constitutional scripture
together and attend the Christenings
of each other’s grandchildren and yachts
But now Republicans won’t so much as
look at us when we enter the lunchroom
When we wave at them on the softball field
they pretend they don’t see
not even Mitt Romney – or Liz Cheney! –
invite us to attend their dinner parties
Why? What did we do?
Meanwhile,
on the steps of the Capitol
a crowd gathers
hair, faces, clothes, slogans,
flags, flagpoles, taunts and chants
that one party is willing to claim
they embrace them
are willing to rewrite the recent history
of the nation to please them
While another wider broader more variegated constituency says
won’t all the patriotic public servants please stand up and protect
the democratic fabric/wasn’t that why we handed you the Senate?
But Democratic moderates pine
how they pine away
wondering when
their great body of deliberation
will be great again.