Diplomacy

Part I

And suddenly, the nation’s alarm clock rings.

Instead of being woken up, we’re still dreaming…

1968…

 Martin’s gone. [Cuz he’s black or a real shade of gray]

Bobby’s gone. [Cuz he’s a Kennedy and a Catholic and his efforts to neutralize The Godfather of the mob]

Then there’s Lyndon,

stiff as Tricky Dick when the cameras roll,

who can no longer fantasize about masturbating to his sperm donors,

declaring: ''I shall not seek,

and I will not accept,

the nomination of my party

for another term as your President.''

Lawd A’mighty! says the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

Good Lawd A’mighty! What are we fightin’ for?

The souls of the Jews?

The atheists?

Hope the FDA has the resources to regulate all that canned laughter on Laugh-In.

"Here Come de Judge”, "Here Come de Judge”, "Here Come de Judge".

Then Smother Brothers canceled because of racism, the President of the United States, and the Volunteers of America.

Then, Jefferson Airplane’s morning maniac music plays on crappy transistor radios in pizzerias all over Brooklyn.

Look what’s happening on the streets!

 

Part II

LBJ retires to his ranch in Tex-a*s,

prepares his memoirs,

sips whiskey,

then dies of a heart attack at age 64 on January 22, 1973.

[too much stress and folderol],

while Nixon,

always feeling inferior to Harvard academics,

has four, five, six highballs

(lowballs)

(curve balls)

(screw balls)

(sliders)

(spitters)

as he drunk-paces in front of a portrait of George S. Patton,

then visits the Lincoln Memorial at three o’clock in the morning,

kneeling, hands clasped.

“Ay Dios Mío,” Nixon says.