The Rule Of Law

And Order

       (I'm sorry,
   but this really
   gets to me;
                     for
Whatever reason
Entirely.
And that may be
                      up
To you
Ultimately.)

It's 1787.
The constitutional
Framers
Are meeting in
Convention
In the sweltering heat
Of Philadelphia
                   and
Of discourse
                 over
                 how best
          to conceive of
A new nation.
         Alexander
         Hamilton -
              a man
      with ties
      to Mother
      England -
       proposes
       that
The qualifications
For the office
Of the presidency
Should include
                  that
        the person
                 need
          simply be
          a
Citizen.
              John Jay,
               possibly
              smelling
                    a rat
 (of which there
undoubtedly were
         a few, even
 amongst these men
     of honor
     and rectitude;
           and some
       with ties still
To the Auld Country)
             -  and soon
      to be the first
      Chief Justice
      of the new
     United States
Of America's Supreme
Court
             (and trusted
To be)
             wrote
             quietly
             to one
            George
Washington, acting
           as Chair
Of the Convention:
                  'Er,
                  Beg
Pardon, Sir;
            but shouldn't
            a person
            in that position -
Who is also to be
The Commander in Chief
Of the nation's military
                   forces -
                   be a
      'natural born'
Citizen?'
              (Or words
               to the effect
               thereof,
               but with
               the same
               intent.)

                And lo,
              it was so
Written
             in the blood
Of Patriots
            of the new
Nation
Who didn't want
Their nation
Ever
To fall into
The hands
Of anyone
With another calling
On them -
                 either
                 back
Into the hands
Covertly
Of 'Mother
England,' or
                forwards
Into the graspy hands
Of any other nation
In the future.

Which brings us to
Today
           and what do
We have
At the helm
Of our ship
Of state:
           Not only
A black man
(though not
 as descended
 from slaves;
 which would have been
 even more powerful
 a statement
 as to how times can change).
                        But
                    a dual
Citizen.  Precisely
     the kind of citizen
                        that
The Founders
Of this nation
                not only
          warned
             about
                 but
Contracted against
In the nation's
Codification of its
Rule of law:
                     the
  Constitution.
And there has been
No amendment
                   between
                   then
                   and
                   now
To the contrary.
                Actually,
   there has been
                 precisely
The opposite, when
It became noted
That the office
Of the vice presidency
Should be included
In the same
                 category
Too, since the occupier
Of that position
Might end up in
           the Oval
Office
           and thus
           the same
           capacity.

'Oh, it's such a little
Thing.'
               Really?
               The rule
               of law
        rather than
               the rule
               of men
  which means
   in effect
   Despotism???…

          -
 
                  So.
         What do
             we do
          about
          this
'Little matter'.
             
                 I know.

       We start
             over
In a sense
             and get rid
            of the spirit
          of corruption
      that has crept in
      in elections -
                    federal
       and more local;
   and not to mention
                in general  -
                         over
     the years
     of our unfolding
     ourselves

               as spiritual
               beings
               having
               a human
               experience
               exclusively.
      Now
      to change that
      capacity
      for something
      closer to
      the Real
      Thing
      of our
                   identity

And to live -
            here
And Now -
By a higher Law
Than Man's
       and his
       little
       pieces
       of paper
       that just seem to
       disappear
       at times…
       of convenience
       to him
       and his
       best-laid
       plans…