Congratulations, sir.

Congratulations.

Congratulations,

                     and many heart-felt felicitations

                                            on this glorious and memorable occasion.

On this very day,

                   more than twenty years ago,

                                    you brought honor

                                                     to your nation.

   On this very day

                     you fought valiantly

                                       against the enemy,

                                                                  and your defeat

                                                                             was not easy.

         We are rightfully made

           to celebrate this feat,

                 every year.

     On this very day

                       you stood alone

                                       against the world

                                                   without fear,

                                                           or consternation.

            And you fought on

                                       and on

                                               with little,

                                                       or no hesitation.

                                                                              And your defeat

                                                                                              was not easy.

         We are rightfully, indeed,

           made to celebrate this feat,

                 every year.

                   Every year.

Many brave men died then,

                                   naturally.

   Many mothers grieved,

                   children orphaned.

                           Buildings destroyed.

But you lived on, sir.

    And you live on still,

                                   a symbol of glory,

                                       a symbol of victory,

                                                                   with a new twist,

                                                                              a novel connotation.

                                           For your defeat

                                                               is not easy.

                                                No.

                                                     Your defeat is not easy.

         We all rightfully have to

           commemorate this feat

                 every year.

                   Every year.

For truly, sir,

          truly,

              truly,

                       you are the pride

                                            of your nation.

II

You were an idealist, sir.

Once,

     at the very beginning

                         of your career,

                                       you were an idealist.

         I am sure of it, sir.

           I am sure of it.

Once,

       not too long ago,

                       you actually managed

                                    to accomplish something.

                        You actually managed

                                              to inspire hope, sir,

                                                                     at least

                                                                            in some of us.

And you believed

                  in what you were doing,

                       and that is the most important point, sir,

                                you actually believed

                                                  in what you were doing.

                                                              Perhaps with all your heart, sir.

                                                                           Perhaps with all your heart.

         I am sure of it, sir.

           I am sure of it.

Then,

     something must have happened, sir.

         Something must have happened

                                                        to you, sir.

                                                          Inside of you, sir.

             Something deviant.

                Something evil.

                      Something all-too-human

                                           and all-too-bad.

                            Something that switched on

                                                         the devil in you,

                                        and turned you absolutely mad,

                                                                                with greed,

                                                                                     with thirst,

                                                                                            with lust.

         Yes. With lust, sir.

           Oh, yes. With lust.

And now,

          now you make love to tyranny

                                           every day.

            And you hate the world,

                                    the forever rebellious,

                                                      uncontrollable world,

                                                                           every day, sir.

                                                                             Every day.

                                                                               Every humbling,

                                                                                           shaming,

                                                                                              back-breaking day.

         And I pity you for it, sir.

         Oh yes, I do.

         Oh yes, I do.

         I pity you.

III

You are intelligent, sir.

Oh, yes.

    You are intelligent,

        you are intelligent,

                         you are wise.

             You know how to disguise

                                               the facts

                                                        so well,

                      and tie a colorful blindfold

                                                   around our willing eyes.

Oh, yes.

        You are wise, sir.

   Oh, yes. You are wise.

You taught us well

                  how to uncover

                                  sublime truths

                                    in your most obvious lies,

                             and praise all your devilish deeds

                                                                        that spelled the demise

                                                                                        of our freedom,

                                                                                             of our innocence.

                                                                                                  Of our innocence.

And by baptizing us

           with our own cold sweat,

                      you showed us well

                                how to sacrifice

                                           everything we have

                                                           in this world,

                                                                for a single

                                                                        fiendish

                                                                            smile of approval

                                                                                       breaking out

                                                                                         of your blood-soaked

                                                                                                                     lips.

Notes
Dedicated to the “great man” in question on the occasion of the Great War