History in Verse

History in Verse

by Larry Porter

Copyright 2018 Larry Porter

Smashwords edition

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to

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Table of Contents

The Experiment - An epic poem of the complete history of the U.S.

Quest for the West - An epic poem of the opening and settling of the U.S. West

The Reconstruction of a Nation - An epic poem of the histroy of the American Civil War

America in the Sixties - A poem of America's 1960s decade, a most interesting decade

THE EXPERIMENT

by Larry Porter

Copyright 2013 Larry Porter

Smashwords edition

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to

Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Preparation

The frost in the air comes not from weather.

The frost in the air comes from the fool crown’s tether.

Those who would dare to bring up a scare

Will bring the disgusted together.

They march to the tune of a different songbird,

The crown didn’t listen and got the wrong words.

These souls understood there’s a much greater Good,

And that’s what the strong should prefer.

They gathered together to forge a new plan,

A country whose power was bestowed on man.

In the heat of the day and with so much to weigh,

One said, I don’t know if we can.

Undaunted, three souls chose to work even harder.

Together they formed a triumvirate of ardor.

The first brought the form, the second transformed

Ideas aged kept in their larder.

The third of the members interpreted well

The meanings of phrases so none could dispel

The message that wrought the authors’ true thoughts.

They now had a story to tell.

The assemblage was gathered and asked to please ponder

If they’d willingly risk their lives, wealth, and honor.

Fifty-six men agreed that they had to secede

From the crown that ruled from a’ yonder.

The menace marched westward in a wave of bright red,

And nearing its goal the patriots said,

"Come on boys, take our toys

And then we’ll cut off all your heads."

When they met the menace, they did the unheard,

They hid behind trees and true to their word,

They took off it’s head, and left it for dead,

And a new nation thus had been spurred.

The wise men assembled in secret that year

Named a man who had fought in the country’s frontier.

Made a name for himself, as a warrior with wealth,

And his best trait was he was austere.

This great man’s poor army was nearly consumed

And the new country’s fate seemed for sure to be doomed,

The wise men had guessed they’d given their best.

But the chosen one never presumed.

On a cold Christmas eve, camped next to the river,

He ordered his men to advance to deliver,

A destructive blow in the wind and the snow,

And to show them what’s left in our quiver.

So they walked across water with cloths wrapped ‘round feet,

Through the snow and ice with no thoughts of defeat.

Leaving crimson on white, to look back was a fright,

So they marched forward, Hessians to greet.

The success of that day made the country propitious

That the crown may be gone, though some still were suspicious.

They slugged through ten years, give and take, fears and tears,

Would the signers be hung as seditious?

After ten years of fighting, the war was now won

Because of the grit of George Washington.

Then they began to draw up the plan

On how this new government should run.

Alas came an end to the fighting and dying.

Patriots victorious, the red menace left crying,

They had their new nation but with their creation,

They found its survival defying.

Jefferson, Madison, Adams, those three

Drew the document that sent the world on a spree

It declared every right was bestowed outright,

Not from government but instead deity.

The talk from the men who performed for thirteen.

Haggled and screamed and like roosters some preened.

But eventually enough signed off on the stuff,

That made for a brand new machine.

They needed a head for this brand new estate.

Unanimously they agreed only one had the trait,

That could lead a new nation, so in the summation,

They chose Washington, their new head of state.

The Experiment Begins

The world stood watching with great anticipation

To see if she stumbled on her own expectations.

Could she hold on to this promising dawn,

Or would she collapse from translation?

The idea was new that a people could rule,

That their rights were derived from their very own pool.

Would they grasp the real meaning, without intervening

Or would they rely on old school.

Freedom of speech? Who heard of such things?

And the right to assemble, no, not from their kings.

Religion and arms. No one taking their farms?

And none of these freedoms had strings?

Who’d believe all the things this document told,

Of freedoms and rights more precious than gold.

Could it stand on it’s own, ignoring the crown,

Or would it fade into history, untold?

George Washington proved the wise leaders' decision

He led the new nation with startling precision.

Here's the thing, he could have been king.

Instead he gave life to the vision.

He took to his heart what the document said,

Vowing by actions to eliminate dread.

Never bowing to those who would bring to a close

The message that it would spread.

His cabinet was wrought with two men who fought

With different ideas of constitutional thought.

They’d go for weeks never to speak.

But he needed what each of them brought.

One sat on his right the other his left

At making their case, both were quite deft,

Every time one would sneeze, he was tempted to squeeze

From that man his very last breath.

He was blessed with the talent to discard their petty

Disagreements in principle and keep them both ready

To steer the ship forward, for they were the stewards.

As the world watched to see it stay steady.

He was true to his word as his two terms expired.

He insisted to all he was done, and retired.

What he left in his wake for the next man to take,

Was a new nation duly inspired.

His second was one of the first architects.

At times Adams felt he was just a reject,

He had little to do, watching senators brew,

Their concoctions. He got no respect.

The second was voted to become the next first.

He finally felt he was shown his real worth.

The rules he’d helped write, were about to ignite

A battle to shake the whole Earth.

The Amendments were written for all to peruse

The rights of the people could not be abused.

Being able to speak one’s mind was unique

And its writing could not be confused.

But now one author was leading the state,

Through executive power he began to dictate

With his signature placed on one bill he embraced,

He hobbled the whole fourth estate.

Washington was crushed by some newspapermen

Who vilified him with their sharp poison pens.

It didn’t bother the Founding Father,

But to Adams, it wasn't his ken.

When Adams became the number one man,

He agreed with his former colleagues’ game plan.

They'd punish the men who used poison pens

By forbidding free speech with a ban.

The plan was to pass the A and S Acts.

Which they all pretended was against foreign pacts.

The reality however was to stifle forever

Critics and to cover their backs.

And so the first chink in the ambitious design

Appeared oh so quickly and gave us a sign

That men of good will can be led down the hill.

Human nature is often supine.

And now came John Marshall who carried the law.

He and five cohorts decided for all

What the document said as it was read,

Their word would be the last straw.

Since brilliant John Adams was there from the start

You'd think he would know the direction by heart.

Instead he took actions that brought grave reactions

Pushed executive power athwart.

Marshall proclaimed Adams misused his power

When the USS Boston made the Flying Fish cower.

With Little v Barreme , the Court called Supreme

Gave Congress back its power.

Washington again proved his worth to the nation.

Before he left office a wise revelation,

He gave to the masses, "Before a day passes,

With parties you’ll have a cessation."

"Your country will die before it can start.

If you chose different camps, you’ll soon grow apart.

Parties divide, throw the people aside,

Their own needs dictate their heart."

But the two from his cabinet who could not agree,

Ignored all his wisdom, each became a trustee

Of his party of choice, proclaiming his voice

Was that of the true bourgeoisie.

When Adams was through, Thomas Jefferson ran

For the highest office in this new land.

His life’s enemy ran at him, you see,

And the country’s division began.

Once again a designer of the U.S. blueprint

Became the third man to leave his imprint.

He looked to the West, for the countries next quest

So he sent a group out for a glint.

What he did next, he knew wasn’t right

According to rules that he helped to write.

His thinking, the end justified the offend.

He went forth and purchased it outright.

He paid fifteen mil which then doubled the lay

Most people were happy, as they got underway

To settle new land, where ‘til now had blue hands,

But would soon be called US of A.

We the people, didn’t mind being scammed,

They didn’t complain with whatever was rammed,

As long as they got everything that they sought,

They said the Constitution be damned.

Next came a Founder a kind of small guy.

Only five feet four, but he wasn’t shy.

He had a spouse who shared his white house

And helped with his chores on the fly.

Number four was the man who started it all,

Brought the quill, the ink, the paper and all.

By using his brains, he wrote down the strains

That began to roll the ball.

But even before his duties began

Marshall again, with the court made a stand.

Fletcher v Peck, put a foot on the neck

Of the Natives, said, You don’t own land.

As author of what we call the Constitution,

He was a man who had resolution.

He followed the rules, executed with tools

That caused no further dilution.

He did, however, have to go to war

With the Brits, they said they wanted more.

But Andy Jack, he sent ‘em back.

Ne're again to darken our shore.

The Doctrine was what gave the fifth his fame.

After serving the fourth voters said, Remain.

He gained the top, became the cop

Who kept the West maintained.

His Doctrine helped keep our hemisphere

Free from all nations we had feared.

"You all may come for trade and fun

But as for war, not here!"

James was involved right from the start,

At Trenton got shot very near his heart.

So he knew well, what they must quell

What his country would impart.

He stayed true to the word, what great men had written,

Especially did he, after the battle with Britain.

He executed laws with no more cause

Than to follow what was written.

The Marshall group reinforced their findings

As to the Natives, they still had their bindings

Could not sell their land to the common man.

The government took all assignings.

The sovereignty lay with only those men

Who came from afar, pushed again and again.

Natives were not in these men’s thoughts,

Considered God’s creatures, amen.

SC once again before five took his leave.

Gave the Antelope's cargo official reprieve.

Slaves were to be, simply property.

Many years would pass with a yawn.

Like father like son, as the saying goes

The apple falls near to the tree, so they crow.

With Adams at two, the sages were true.

He learned well what to sow.

For John Q. was his father’s son.

He watched his father as he’d run.

When his turn came, he did the same

And nearly always won.

When he became our number six

His enemies cried, Oh, dirty tricks.

The twelfth Amendment, caused resentment,

While his office dodged the bricks.

John Adams knew the country’s law,

He watched his father help to