Hansard, bound in the dead of night, arrives.
Lay the debate open on the table.
Leaf through, take in the gore of question period,
petitions splayed, begging attention like porn or Maclean’s magazine.
Practise self-denial.
Underscore each foible of the opposition including
your own backbenchers run amok
cabinet ministers slipping their collars
forthcoming civil servants
reporters immune to spin.
Mark the impending 4th anniversary of
Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean
with a solemn X and an asterisk
* deadline to appoint my own man.
Eat grit with some greens for breakfast.
Cut up a bloc of cheddar, mild as the NDP.
Slake your thirst for deficit spending with some domestic
sparkling wine and celebratory cuts
to the CBC.
Tune into CPAC.
Watch the culture slowly grow
not spindly and wan, but
resistant as dandelions, prairie fires, like
the exaggerations on lobbyists’ CV’s
too numerous to counter.
It was easier to etiolate democracy.
That took but a note to the Governor General,
a prorogation, or two.
Admit she came in handy that way.
