“Old Lines” [#2/10 reflections on Stephen Greenblatt’s book – Tyrant – Shakespeare on Politics]

I disagree with Chapter Two
Which says ’twas roses from which grew
The party politics today
I say, my view’s a better way –

Wars of the Roses cleaned things up
The clans of Scotland are the stuff
Of what went on in England to
Until King Edward’s point of view –

Put end to Scottish nonsense there
He hung the Chiefs (the BraveHeart fare)
And banned the kilt and pipes a while
Until they just became a style.

Another author pointed out
That lines of regions roundabout
The English countryside go back
Where German Kingdoms’ boundaries sat.

Yes, Angles, Jutes, and Saxon types
Each had their lands (would often fight)
So struggles for a single throne
Had ancient clan-lines based on homes.

The power-vacuum ’round the Prince –
Protectorate – seen often since –
Is noble effort to maintain
Peace in the land, but is quite lame.

His argument flows out okay
But “Parties” came a different way
What’s spoken of in Chapter Two
Is clan-extinction – Tudor rule.

Aside from that, his point’s well made –
In power-vacuums plans are laid
To bop the weak and decent folk
So one or other power-bloke –

Can step up to the throne and reign
For good of their clan, in the name
Of “Best for one and all, I say”
(not really, but it’s played that way).

His thoughts on “Why” of such pretense
Is excellent – collusion meant
They all could move off down the field
Then one could pounce, the others yield.

That insight’s awesome – like some games
Where teams on cycles work to tame
The other teams ’till only they
Are left, then one lone rider says –

“I’m sprinting now – let best man win”,
And off he goes; new race begins
At end of jockey for the team;
That’s what I hear this chapter mean.

Lord, parties here in our fair land
Sprang up when French and English clans
Were deadlocked, so some other lines
Created were; results worked fine.

But once again in Chapter Two,
Will’s “Red” and “White” made lines quite new
Based on some random argument
In other ways irrelevant.

Such is the human social way –
New border-lines spring up today
Based on some team (commercial league,
Whose bottom line just owners see).

So too in social digi-world –
Some faction gets its flags unfurled,
And off they go – some ancient wound
From which the hasty troops are groomed.

Lord, we’re all nuts, I must admit;
And thus my view, from where I sit
On Kingdom-layer – we can be free
To live, and thrive, here – thanks to Thee.

Thanks Lord for this.

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