The Chameleons

THE CHAMELEONS by JOHN M. ARRIBAS Give credit to the chameleons, they blend right in A simple maneuver, changes the color of their skin No matter the surroundings, one thing is clear You may not see him, despite him being quite near Nature blessed him, with a way to camouflage If you can’t locate him, he doesn’t need to dodge There are other chameleons much larger in size No need to change colors just manipulate the ties You can find them in droves as far as the eye can see They setup shop, at a place called, Washington, D.C. They are the big players sucking at the money well Get their basic training at state capitols as well Who are these nabobs that really run the show Lobbyists, lawyers, agents the heavies in the know They have assistants in the senate and in the house That dole out the contracts, a cronies clearinghouse Its big money that has our representatives infected You have to do their bidding or won’t be reelected So all the players in this production fall in line The actors may change but old habits just work fine They all get along, merrily, functioning with ease They butter the slopes with a thing we call sleaze House n senate are unique, they have their own rules Members enjoy privileges, while the electorate mewls They are all members of a well rehearsed troupe Act as if independent, but really, they’re one group They can perform adroitly if the audience is in view In caucuses the party whip tells them what to do The scenario will be dictated, the libretto written Writers will tweak n choreograph the esoteric spin Chameleons (2) Citizens upset with political self-centered behavior Seek representation from someone who’ll act in their favor A reformer appears with unimpeachable credentials A local politician possessing all the needed essentials Many a well intentioned has made the journey to D.C. Just to be tainted n twisted in that cesspool of iniquity Be elastic, go with the flow, succumb to the pressure If you close your eyes, you certainly amass treasure It’s El dorado, it’s Cibola, a leprechauns pot of gold An arena where votes are routinely auctioned and sold It doesn’t take long for the clever to figure out All anyone could wish for, is here, there’s no doubt What’s wrong with the cast in this ongoing production To an outsider, the unwashed, it smacks of dysfunction Not so, it’s a well choreographed ruse to get things done Deals are made, interested parties all get a plum If parties don’t get all they wanted this time around Stick to the want list other opportunities abound Need to display statesmanship, when under the gun But at the end of the day, nothing has been done A common procedure, that these chameleons play Changing costumes to match, what the pollsters say There are some difficulties that they must face But none more lethal than the November race They may panic if a serious opponent suddenly appears Get out dossiers, speak innuendos, produce the smears Town meetings, fund raisers will clutter the day Removing the me and I. they had nothing to say Lack of accomplishments never stand in the way Name recognition, maybe sufficient, to carry the day Impossible to keep track of the multiple roles they play Who are the madams, hookers, pimps, Johns: too hard to say They have many generous tasks, they need to fulfill They get the goodies and you get the bill