Photo: cei.org
“The corruption of every government begins nearly always with that of principles.” Charles de Montesquieu
The Devil Has A Clipboard
The devil has a clipboard,
innocuous,
amorphous,
beady-eyed,
keeping score.
The devil has regulations,
no longer shy,
brazen,
not hiding in the detail
but living out in derision
and smug bastardry,
feeding on discomfort,
worse,
enjoying the powerlessness
of the confusion of
disavowed expectations
and the endless minutiae of
plausible impossibility
carefully tucked inside
shifting goalposts,
ever making promises and
snatching the joy away
just as the sweet and tender
seek to reach and trust.
The devil has a laptop,
keeping track,
seeking entrapment,
preying along the fault-lines
of desire and hope.
The devil has a home
inside your ballot box.
The Devil means well.
©Paul Vincent Cannon
Paul, pvcann.com
parallax 
Oh, that last line – what a warning.
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So seductive that way, comes out in so many different ways. Thank you VJ
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It really does. Welcome, Paul.
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🙂
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love the one line wrap up at the end, indeed he is the confusion in our brain and hearts, his power if we allow it. a keeper poem Paul. so much depth.
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That is a wonderful encouragement Gina, thank you so much.
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The poem meet the point. 😉
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😉
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I agree with V.J. That last line got me.
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Thank you for that Mark, yes, so simple how it is said and done..
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It got me as well. It took me by surprise, although of course it shouldn’t have.
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It surprised me too, strangely enough, it popped up.
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Perfect for the times in D.C. The devil is there just waiting for us to fail. Resist!
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Yes, and here too, but also in the community committees, churches, sports groups, local govt. it’s insidious really.
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“Insidious” is exactly the right word!
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Yes, that creeping everywhere sense of it.
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Universal truth!
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Yes, indeed it is Rupali, well said.
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BAM! Direct hit! I particularly like the title.
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I’m sure, that like me, you’ve met a few 🙂 thank you so much Liz.
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Oh, yes, I have!
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😉
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Ballot box and devil sounds about right! 😳
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Sadly so, and no end in sight, nor in any form of leadership or community enterprise. But I remain hopeful for humanity outside of that. 🙂
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This too is an amazingly powerful poem so well said and I love the title
>
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We’ve been acquainted too long with that clipboard.
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