In Mr. Lincoln’s Footsteps
By Martin H., Cincinnati, OH
A backwoods in the remote forests of Kentucky,
Self-educated, a manifestation of humble beginnings
Arabian Nights with a dash of Shakespeare and
Robert Burns on the side,
A bookworm after twelve and willing to oblige
Ohio River flatboats man avoiding perilous destruction
Down the mighty Mississippi,
Unwelcomed arrival in New Salem, a friendless,
Uneducated and penniless boy
Wrestling the best fighters of New Salem,
The murky waters of odd jobs and boundless ambition
Living by his wits over brawn, committed to law,
A clumsy middle-aged man
Fighting the good fight,
Honest and jocular
A part of the heavenly gaggle of angels
Belonging to the ages,
Revered by some, admired by many,
Etched into history for eternity
A beacon of light in a sea of gloom and contingency
His story is seldom experienced in the human condition,
Most widely known American throughout the world
Putting his country and faith over his party
Imperfect human being and riddled with guilt
Larger-than-life deeds that saw his country
Through incertitude and insurrection,
Bastion of moral judgment beyond his mortality,
Martyr of truth and justice
An original and genuine personality
Bearer of greatness over a century and a half after his death,
Reflection of a wonderful power transcending time.
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