A hundred and fifty years ago
Came dark and depressing days
Some stood unmoved
As others sang his praise
Our American Cousin, a comedy they said
But before the culmination
A man of honour dead
A lot of tears, fright and confusion
A derringer, an actor, a master of illusion.
We all know the story
We’ve heard it inside and out
But there are deeper questions
More to think about
One carried from the theatre
Not under his own force
One escapes into the night
On the back of a borrowed horse
One fought for rights for all
Regardless of coloured skin
One who feared change and oppression
For him and all his kin
One who died in early morning
Of a fateful spring
One who made it 12 more days
Before justice would ring
Two men, two lives
Tied inexorably together
Two men, two lives
Made history in 1865
What happened 12 days later
When Booth met his maker?
Was he denied access,
As an admitted life taker?
Was Lincoln standing there,
In his stovepipe and tails?
Does St. Peter consult him
To see if Booth passes or fails?
Imagine the conversation,
Between Lincoln and Booth
The president calm as always
The entertainer facing truth
So here they stand in heaven
Before the pearly gates
Booth scuffing his heels
As impatiently he waits
Before the man who rewrote history,
Ended slavery and showed such tact
And then Booth looks up and realises
St. Peter is Black.
150 years ago today we lost one of the most memorable men the world has ever known. Take a moment today and think about how many changes this man was responsible for, and be thankful for pioneering spirits. 🙂
Also a moment of silence for those lost on the Titanic on April 15th. Sad day in history. 🚢
12 responses to “150 years”
Definitely a monumental date in history. I loved the poem. I really liked the little twist at the end there.
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It was fun. I had to do something. I couldn’t miss Lincoln day. Why is there no Lincoln Day? I mean there’s president’s day, but no Lincoln Day.
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I agree. He was definitely one of the foremost presidents. He should have a day of his own.
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A day not paid much attention to by most. Loved this! Oh, and you changed your blog theme!
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I got tired of swimming with the fishies:) I miss my coloured text though. 😦
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Great ending. We do end up overlooking this day, but we remember his birthday. Not sure if that’s enough though.
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It seems odd the way we pick and choose holidays. Birth, death, it’s kind of like being on Facebook and unsure if you should hit the like button.
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Good point. I’ve been wondering if some holidays came from an era where people focused on celebrating birth and other ones came from a focus on death. Personally, I’d rather celebrate a person’s life than their demise, but without forgetting the ending.
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wonderful historical poetry
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Thank you so much!
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Wonderful poem Ionia and the ending is nothing short of priceless. 🙂
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Thank you, Dom:) I hope you are well.
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