The Kennedy 

Center

is long 

gone-

I mean,

politically

speaking.

And performing

arts

losing a home

to the world’s

greatest

is the latest

version

of Trump’s 

subversion,

and submersion

into 

the absurd.

By now

you’ve heard

the drip,

drip, 

drip

as he tightens

his grip

on what 

we thought

was a blip,

while he tries

to flip

The Center.

Bulldozers

seen

on the scene

make it seem

like he’s

demolishing

anyway,

regardless

of what

any court

might

say.

He’ll have

his day

someday,

maybe.

Meanwhile,

a pile

of rubble

causing

all sorts 

of trouble,

may seem

minor

compared

to the war

against Iran,

but he does

what he can

because 

he can.

He’s a 

crafty

guy.

Why are

the arts

so dangerous

that history’s

most outrageous

autocrats

limited

or suppressed

what was

creatively

expressed,

and then

they professed

how useless

the arts are?

We’ve been

convinced

that the arts

are superfluous,

and despite

the gifted

and talented

artists

who live

among us,

we allow

them

to starve.

Robert Frost

recited

“The Gift

Outright”

at JFK’s

inauguration.

Later, Kennedy

remarked,

“When power

corrupts,

poetry

cleanses,

for art 

establishes

the basic

human truths

which must

serve

as the touchstones

of our judgement.”

No wonder

Trump

wants

to destroy

The Kennedy

Center-

both figuratively

and literally.

He will

never have

the honor

of The Kennedy

Center,

just

obedience

for each 

grievance.

He wants

to put

the cult

in culture,

but he’s

merely

a vulture,

feeding on

decay.

I ask you

today

to support

your local

arts community.

The arts

build

communities.

We

can be

the real

builders.