State Of The Union Poem by Tor Magnor Solvang

A speech for all, or so I thought,
A report on how our nation's wrought.
Jobs and money, peace and care,
A honest look, beyond compare.

This speech is given, grand and long,
About our country, right or wrong.
I thought it was a check, a score,
To see how we're doing, and so much more.

Jobs and money, lives we lead,
Planting hope, or sowing seed.
But what I heard, a different sound,
Not about us, on common ground.

It's just a show, a chance to shine,
For folks who talk, and make it fine.
If truth is there, or just a haze,
Seems lost within the speaking daze.

And now I see, with clearer eyes,
A different goal, beneath the skies.
A show of strength, a boastful plea,
Truthfulness, lost at sea.

The Speaker smiles, a practiced grace,
While facts are bent, to win the race.
A stage for one, a dazzling light,
Where substance fades, and words take flight.