Welcome to Round Four,
My opponent has the choice,
Also, words only.
No visual crutches,
Or cheap devices to use now,
I’ll sling word arrows.
Insert pic in mind,
Of the pastey one I oppose,
Fearing me greatly.
This will hit him hard,
To gift to me words alone,
Even in Haiku.
Abraham Lincoln,
A simple biography,
This is my task here.
My rival’s choice,
In a round without gimmicks,
Was to write Haiku.
Without more delay,
Or more rambling on and on,
Let me now begin.
Honest Abe Lincoln:
That really tall president;
a short history.
Born eighteen-oh-nine,
Hodgenville, Kentucky, U.S.
Likely large infant.
Daddy Lincoln: rich guy,
Lost it all in some court cases:
Hello log cabin.
Mommy Lincoln died,
They say it was “milk sickness”;
That’s intolerance!
Abe liked his wrasslin’
Beat so-called “ruffian” leader:
From “Clary’s Grove Boys”?!?!!.
Before he met wife,
Abe had himself a girlfriend:
Bitch died of typhoid.
Abe met Mary Todd,
She did not die of typhoid:
Put a ring on it!
Sometime before then,
Abe had fought in “Black Hawk War”:
Whose side: Toews or Kane?
Politics came next,
Along with a bit of law,
The man did dabble.
Got caught up a bit,
In the slavery question:
Ambiguous stance.
Cleared it all up though,
In some mad-ass debating:
Stephen Douglas sucks!
Got made president:
Not bad for a country boy,
Though poor fashion choices.
Also, not good for Abe:
A goddamn Civil War starts,
Always the case, ain’t it?
Took giant resolve,
Which the gangley fella had,
To save the U.S.
Emancipation:
You know he Proclaimed that, but,
Some people not fans.
Gettysburg Address:
“Four score…seven years ago”;
Pretty famous speech.
Got re-elected;
In despite of Civil War,
Or because of it?
Helped rebuild U.S.
And got to wear his tall hats,
In quiet of peace.
Actor John Wilkes Booth,
Clearly not a fan of him,
Shot at Abe, point-blank.
At Ford’s Theatre,
“Our American Cousin” playing,
Should have stayed home.
bss 