L. J. Carber Poet Free verse

The Loneliest President

He had no schooling
to speak of--
he had no money
to speak of-- 
he had no future 
to dream of--
yet...
he grew tall, strong,
ever hungering 
to learn,
to know,
to understand--
he saw into the
hearts of men
while telling his
country jokes,
knowing laughter
smothered fear--
and he walked in
grace of a sort,
keeping a nation
from cracking,
freeing a race
while trying to
quiet the hate
until a coward
shot him in the
back of the head
and a nation was
set back over 
a hundred years.


[composed and posted 2/19/21]

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Christuraj Alex March 27, 2022 at 10:19 PM Great tribute to Abraham Lincoln, one of the greatest of International leaders. In many of our schools in India, even today, his letter to his son's teacher is displayed. Congratulation! L. J. Carber March 28, 2022 at 9:03 AM Thank you--I have a poet friend in India [as is my book publisher] and I know some of the best writers in English in the world today are Indian,

Sara Kendrick February 27, 2021 at 2:08 PM Good one describing Abraham Lincoln. I feel he was a great man and had an untimely death. His birthday was on the 12th and I always think about him as a person and president this time of year. Thanks for the visit to my page. Sara L. J. Carber February 28, 2021 at 10:27 AM You're welcome, Sara, and thank you!

S.Zaynab Kamoonpuri February 20, 2021 at 4:25 AM I wonder which fine president this tribute is to? Its an awesome elegy. Kudos! L. J. Carber February 20, 2021 at 12:01 PM It is Abraham Lincoln, killed by John Wilkes Booth with a shot to the back of the head as Lincoln and his wife watched a play at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C. on April 14, 1865.