Sunday, December 23, 2007

It wouldn't be the holiday season in Rhode Island without Charlie Bakst's annual poetic greeting, and it's good to see this back this year, as M. Charles himself explains:

Chanukah’s lights have blazed, now comes Christmas in tow,

So this would be my 21st holiday poem in a row.

But in a chapter of my life I’d much prefer to heave

I found myself last December on a medical leave.

Thus, this is only the 20th time I’m sending out greetings

To officials who dominate debates and meetings.

But also to others who have a skill or a gift

To entertain, to educate, to give Rhode Islanders a lift.

I revere reader loyalty, I’m much in your debt,

And if you’ll just bear with me, I’ll get the hang of this yet.

And just in time, because big things are coming,

The presidential election already is humming.

We know that Charlie has a strong social conscience, yet he proves himself quite the clever wordsmith:

Let’s visit the State House, where there seems a great fuss,

Workers are unloading barrels from two trucks and a bus.

You’ve got to see this, pay attention, don’t blink:

It’s the world’s largest supply of flowing red ink.

Don Carcieri ordered it, but that doesn’t mean the gov should be fired,

After all, for a problem this large some Assembly was required. ....

The governor’s bills go to die in legislative chambers and halls,

With House Speaker Bill Murphy making most of those calls.

Certainly House legislation suffers from a pox

Unless it’s backed by Majority Leader Gordon Fox.

And by Rep. Steve Costantino, who tries to be fair

In House Finance, where he presides as the chair.

Hi to Portsmouth’s Amy Rice, of the Democratic side,

With her 10-vote reelection, you can call her Landslide.

The funny thing here is how Charlie, a Red Sox season ticket holder and diehard fan, somehow forgot to mention the home town team's World Series triump in 2007! Mr. Bakst, is the new paradigm of Sox' success dulling your senses?