Bernie Sanders Plays the Bard

Sanders: (At the ramparts; in the shadows; a windy night–)

 

To be or not to be—that is the question!

Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to take arms

against a Hillary of troubles, or, by opposing, end them!

 

To die, to sleep….

 

Life’s but a walking shadow—a poor player

that struts and frets his moment upon the stage

and then is heard no more.

It is a tale told by an idiot: full of sound and fury,

signifying nothing!

 

To die, to sleep; to sleep: perchance to dream!

Aye, there’s the rub, for in that sleep of death

what dreams may come when we have shuffled off

this mortal coil, must give us pause.

 

If it were done when ‘tis done, ‘tis better it were done quickly!

Seen, but unseen. Noted, but un-noted.

 

Is this a dagger which I see before me—

the handle towards my hand?

Come, let me clutch thee!

 

I played my part, and now am ready to depart.

 

Blow winds and crack your cheeks! rage! blow!

You cataracts and hurricanoes, spout!

 

All my pretty ones? Did you say all?

Noble youths who lent their ears

(not to mention time and money)—

am I to shuffle off to Buffalo, unfriend them?

 

Have I been out-Trumped?

(He doth bestride the narrow world like a Collosus!)

Out-Foxed by one “extremely careless”?

Oh, what Ailes me now? What Ailes us all?

 

But, soft, what light through yonder window breaks?

It is the East–and Jill Stein is the sun!

 

Oh, I am fortune’s fool!

 

The time is out of joint! O cursed spite

that ever I was born to set it right!

Gary Corseri has performed his work at the Carter Presidential Library, and his dramas have been produced on PBS-Atlanta and elsewhere. He has published novels and collections of poetry, has taught in US public schools and prisons and in US and Japanese universities. His work has appeared at CounterPunch, The New York Times, Village Voice and hundreds of publications and websites worldwide. Contact: gary_corseri@comcast.net.