How does one honor the dishonorable ?
Whose deeds and words were unfathomable?
Not while he lived to injure and harm,
stepping on humanity to reach the stars.
It was always just part of his charm,
which gave him power to praise and assist
acts committed by others,
as he laughingly followed along.
Then, he died.
The rules change as custom required.
Speak no ill of the dead,
as if evil deeds, too, expired.
How do the tears rent in our nation mend
if we must simply pretend
He was all goodness and light.
Such a memorial I cannot attend.
Who am I to judge? Imperfect in every way.
Silence is golden on a day like today.
He tried to do good, in his broken way.
I cannot offer false condemnation nor false praise.
I can simply write an ode to death’s malaise.
Finally, finally able, to continue to pray
for a soul laid to rest, as our struggle against hate continues.
Perhaps he can finally find love in his new venue.
This is all I can offer. This is my best.
Now, lay this flawed human being , like all of us, to rest.
annarino writes 