Joe and Donald  by Maizie Schaffner

Joe wears a mask
Donald teases him
Donald spits into crowds
As the polls look grim

He tested positive
But I thought it was a hoax?
Everyone smiled
And secretly hoped he would choke

Joe certainly isn’t perfect 
But Donald is far worse
It’s been a long four years
His only term better be his first

Donald wants to make America great
Or is he building it a tomb?
Always running his mouth
Like the White House is a locker room

It looks like Donald might lose
In all his time as president he’s left something to be desired
I cannot wait till the day when someone says to him 
“You’re fired”

He’s building a wall
If he could he’d make a moat
It’s almost November 3rd
And it’s time for us to vote

And check out the author’s reading!

Interview with the writer:

Q: Who is your favorite writer right now?

Right now my favorite writer is Amy Tan.

I have just loved every book I’ve read of hers, I think
her writing is absolutely beautiful.

Q: When did you become interested in writing?

I have always really liked reading, and I think that has sort of made me interested in writing.

Good writing can be so transportive and I really love learning about how I can write in that way, like all of my favorite authors.

Q: What was your thought process for coming up with this poem? 

This poem was inspired by Gwendolyn Brooks poem “Sadie and Maud.” Her poem compares two very different people, and I really liked the way she wrote it, because it was October I chose to write about these two contrasting political figures in a similar style to Brooks.

Q: How are you feeling about the upcoming Inauguration Day? 

I am definitely ready for the upcoming inauguration day, and I am very excited for Trump to no longer be in office. Although I am a bit nervous and I hope that all goes well, and that there isn’t any more violence.

Q: What are your thoughts about the recent events at The Capitol?

It was scary to watch what happened at The Capitol, I really felt for all the people that were inside the building, it must have been terrifying and I’m sure it was very traumatic.

It was also really infuriating, there was such a stark contrast between the way that the police dealt with these domestic terrorists inciting violence and threatening the democratic process, versus the peaceful protests that had taken place near the capitol months before, in defense of black lives. I cannot say I was surprised by the difference in police presence, but the fact that they were able to break into the Capitol building was pretty shocking. And it was really hard to watch as officers took selfies with people who had broken in, and people wore shirts with anti-Semitic slogans and carried Confederate flags. If anything these really powerful images reinforced the idea that there are two Americas, and both white supremacy, and systemic racism affect every aspect of life in these worlds.  It is my hope that this new Administration will listen to those that are advocating for change around systemic racism and condemning white supremacy, it is necessary that the Biden administration makes large scale change around these issues, and it is important that they be pressured until doing so.