Will the Government Shut Down?

Words mean what we choose them to mean.

Will the Government Shut Down?

 

By Elton Camp

 

In March, the federal government may shut down?

Such a thing certainly has an extremely scary sound

So does that mean that chaos will reign in the street?

That the nation’s enemies nobody is around to defeat?

 

But from past government shutdowns it is readily seen

That words mean only what you choose them to mean

Of two million federal workers, about half would be out

The essential government agencies to work will be about

 

Uncle Sam will still cough up your Social Security check

The FBI and Border Patrol will operate so what the heck?

The food inspection, air traffic control, mail and Medicare

You can be sure all of these usual services will still be there

 

But to visitors, every one of the National Parks will close

Museum tours, veterans’ claims, passports, none of those

Any tax refund from the Internal Revenue will have to wait

But they’ll still take time to process payments, sure as fate

 

To most federal workers, the shutdown won’t be consequential

Except to the egos of those who find their jobs aren’t essential

So will the federal government shut down like it has before?

To have that happen, the president and congress both abhor