Best Eisenhower Poems
Choosing a favorite President is quite an arduous task
Given that most politicians usually wear a spurious mask,
but as a student of History, there was one that I admired;
" the scrappy kid from Kansas."* So many he has inspired.
In his biography there's a plethora of interesting information.
'Ike" was a 5 star general, besides leading this great nation.
A war hero, selected to be America's Commander and Chief.
A man of great integrity, who did not cause his country grief.
In his honor, a Washington Memorial was dedicated.
His bravery in war, and acts as President are celebrated.
After the war, he commanded European NATO forces
and overthrew communism from it's evil courses.
Voted U. S. President in 1952, with the slogan, "I Like Ike,"
Richard Nixon was his running mate; they were nothing alike.
In two terms served, he created a grand legacy for his name.
A President for the people, to him the office was not a game.
There are many valuable quotes that Eisenhower left behind
and I'll end with a few that I feel worthy for us to keep in mind;
none more appropriate than this one, I was happy to find...
"Some day there is going to be a man sitting in my present chair who has not been raised in the military services and who will have little understanding of where slashes in their estimates can be made with little or no damage. If that should happen while we still have the state of tension that now exists in the world, I shudder to think of what could happen in this country."
"The middle of the road is all of the usable surface. The extremes, right and left, are in the gutters."
"Leadership consists of nothing but taking responsibility for everything that goes wrong and giving your subordinates credit for everything that goes well."
"If a political party does not have its foundation in the determination to advance a cause that is right and that is moral, then it is not a political party; it is merely a conspiracy to seize power."
February 11, 2021
Your Favorite President Contest
Sponsored by: L Milton Hankins
*Inscribed on the Eisenhower Memorial
Not party, but character defines a president
popularity fades quickly
achievements reign longer
Presidents Eisenhower to Reagan
succession of seven World War II veterans
George H.W. Bush the last
Men of service earned respect
brought dignity to the office
true leaders
Family man without scandal
even-tempered fisherman
like Apostles Peter, Andrew, James and John
Clean Air Act
Americans with Disabilities Act
Bush saw as his greatest accomplishments
Approval rating of 91 percent
after winning Desert Storm
admiration proved fleeting
Americans “read his lips”
felt betrayed when taxes were raised
president side-swiped by economic downturn
From Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar,”
“The evil that men do lives on;
the good is oft interred with their bones
so let it be with Caesar…”
so not let it be with George H.W. Bush
remember him kindly
as I always will
*Not for a contest
I remember it very well.
It was before the birth of email.
It was a real 'show and tell, and
It rings in my heart like a bell.
Mankind has always found bigger
And better ways to communicate.
Over time and space, such avenues
Have been greatly excellerated.
In the early 70's, cell phones were large
and rare, but landline phones were everywhere.
Those landline phones helped to communicate
The love and romance that were in the air,
And to tell a lover how much you cared.
But for me, and much more importantly,
There was a US POSTAGE STAMP in 1972,
First issued in 1971. I used a few of them
To send love letters to my wife to be. Although
The price of the stamp was low, it was not free.
There are no proofs of the phone calls or the
Automobile drives from Chicago to Northern
Indiana, but thanks to the 8 cent Dwight
Eisenhower postage stamp, there are many
Love letters to prove how romance was kept alive
By the connection provided by a postal stamp.
Dwight D. Eisenhower's picture was on that stamp.
The pose was inspiring and a rather stately one,
I might add. That stately stamp helped to shine
Light upon our young lives like a lamp.
That Eisenhower stamp is a most memorable
And vital part of my life's story. Its been 50 plus
Years now, but my wife and I still have many
Of those love letters. And when we read them,
It always makes us feel so much better.
Dear General Eisenhower:
Sir, you are a man of great wisdom and foresight
Is this why you made sure photographs were taken
photographs of mass graves stuffed with rotting bodies
mass graves of naked men, women, and yes...children
herded into what they were led to believe were showers
yet not cleansing showers, but showers of deadly, lethal gas?
Slaughtered only because of their suspected racial heritage
because they were part of a monster’s master plan
a plan to breed a 'superior race' of blond, blue eyed robots
marching in lock-step to his insane rants of propaganda?
General, could your reason have been that you knew
could you have possibly understood:
that there is an eternal battle between good and evil
that Satan and his servants are unwavering, relentless
that someday some would deny.....
that it ever happened?
**General Eisenhower realized that someday there would be those who would
deny the Holocaust ever occurred, therefore he took action. Local citizens were
made aware of the atrocities, and pictures were taken.
Who
Ever
knew,
according
to Wikipedia’s,
chronological list
of inauguration portraits,
that Richard Milhous Nixon
was the last U. S. president not to
show his teeth. He could have
been a television crime scene detective,
anchorman, or even the famous Cyrano de
Bergerac before Steve Martin in Roxanne. And
think about the high-double-hand-double-V-
salute! President Dwight David
“Ike” Eisenhower may have once offered the
salute. Similarly, half-Vulcan and half-human,
Mr. Spock made a single-hand-double-V-salute,
and Winston Churchill made the single-hand-
single-V-salute. As well as Steve McQueen, a
few protesters and several rock stars. Even
before that, a low relief, discovered by
archeologists in Magnesia ad Meandrum,
Greece dating back almost three-thousand years,
displays a person offering
a single-hand
-single-V-salute.
But never in history has
anyone been more
recorded offering
a high-double-hand-
double-V-salute.
If President Barack
Hussein Obama
gave a high-double
-hand- double-V-salute, we
would call him a dictator. And although Mr.
Obama was the first president to offer a single-
hand-salute with a cup of coffee, all the firsts
and first lasts, lead me to believe that an
extraordinary man became the thirty-seventh
President of the United States of America.
But there’s still something else
about Richard Nixon.
Maybe he just looks too happy.
Cuba…Mamma Mia…like most of the Caribbean; part of the 1492 slam…
Slavery, sugar plantations… invasions, upheaval, independence…
Then the American kisses; with a slight twist…who initiated the ’disses’…?
Was it Blaine…is he insane…?
Was it Marti…the heart of the party…?
Or Teller…many say he was the real speller…
Or Estrada Palma…could he have been the calmer…?
Was it San Martin…any questions of his parting…?
Or was it Batista…is he the real twister…?
With his interwove of expansion…then stagnation and dissatisfaction…
Coupled with his increased economic regulation plan…
Was this the spike for the revolution…?
Enter Castro; was he the real maestro…his thoughts, his plans; communize the land…?
Centralize, non-democratize…ostracize, reorganize…
The politics…were they laden in tricks…?
The CIA; not here to stay… but what role did they play…?
When they realize the RAF size…what will they emphasize…?
With great plans to defeat…did they end in retreat…?
Now with Eisenhower…speculations of a great shower…
But after only months…fixation shift to ouster hunts…
Severed diplomatic relations…the new sensation…
Impositions of trade embargo…the ‘Fargo’ in my cargo…?
The ‘Bay of Pigs’…will you understand the gigs…?
The ‘Cuban Missile Crisis’…what was this Tri-fit…?
The military games…were these substances in flames…?
For a superpower war…or the everlasting scars…?
Of suppression, political persecution…migration, and interventions…
In Angola, and Ethiopia…from Nicaragua to North Africa…
To the Congo…to some say; ‘Jah Mek Yah’…?
Cooperation with Russia…was this the real crusher…?
The mid-eighties…the beginning of their ending gaiety’s…?
The dissolving of the Soviet Union…continuation of the country’s isolations…
Reduced rations…the new fashion…
Unpainted buildings…now the in-thing…
Old vehicles with limited repairs…any scares…?
Lack of electricity…did it colour the ethnicity…?
A country on the verge…is there a new urge…?
Tourist attraction…one logical concoction…
Amidst the flow…of system many Cubans know…
The US now attests…it is in the country’s interest…
Cuba has withstood the test…put the embargo to rest…?
I have her nineteen fifties' Trifari
fine costume jewelry, which I hold dear,
since my sweet mom bequeathed it all to me;
when worn or touched, I feel her presence near.
The ritzy, sparkling rhinestone matching sets
showcased in satin-lined, faux leather case,
were treasured as high fashion; no regrets
when given as a gift of style and grace.
And too, are pearls embedded in bright gold
with settings of such intricate design.
I love to look at them, to fondle, hold
these precious pieces treasured now as mine.
I wear my mother's gems from time to time
and feel her basking in the lovely glow
that once adorned her beauty in its prime
and graced her loveliness in stylish show.
So I devotedly take tender care
of these Trifari gifts passed on to me;
her treasures shine with special love we share,
safeguarded through her cherished jewelry.
Sandra M. Haight
~1st Place~
Contest: Old Jewelry or Just Old Things
Sponsor: Broken Wings
Judged: 11/06/2016
Since the1920s, Trifari has been one of the most respected and admired producers of costume jewelry in the United States. Founded in the1910s by Gustavo Trifari, the Italian-immigrant son of a Napoli goldsmith, the company has designed jewelry that’s been worn by countless high-profile clients, from Mamie Eisenhower to Madonna. Trifari costume jewelry is highly collectible today.
Schools are closed, there is no mail
And stores hold special sales.
To honor our first president,
That’s what this day entails.
Though technically, our 16th prez
Is celebrated, too.
To make a Monday holiday,
That’s what they chose to do.
The 40-something other men
Who served the USA
As presidents were not awarded
Their own special day.
So sorry Adams, Jefferson,
James Madison, Monroe,
John Quincy Adams, Jackson
And Van Buren – all are no.
Poor Harrison and Tyler,
Polk and Taylor, Pierce and Grant,
Fillmore, Johnson and Buchanan,
Hayes and Garfield – no, you can’t.
Arthur, Cleveland and McKinley,
Harrison and Teddy R.,
Taft and Wilson, Harding, Coolidge,
Hoover, also FDR…
Truman, Eisenhower, JFK,
LBJ and Nixon, Ford,
Carter, Reagan, both the Bushes
And Bill Clinton – not on board.
Last, no day off for Obama.
As to he who’s right now serving,
I can’t think of anyone who might
Be any less deserving.
As the sounds of war loudly roar
The thoughts of Freedom began to soar
For on that day of infamy
It changed the course of history
They didn’t ask to be attacked
But patriotism became a well know fact
With Peril Harbor still fresh on their minds
Young and old stood in long enlistment lines
So off to war these soldiers gladly went
To distant lands where they were sent
In Europe where the German’s raged
Eisenhower began to set the stage
Just before the breaking of the dawn
The seas were cold and breaking strong
Below the deck of the great Samuel Carroll battleships
A solemn prayer came from humble soldier’s lips
For On this cold and blistery June D-day
What unknown adventures, what grievous price to pay
They cleaned their rifles, down below
To France’s land where they should go
On this day, upon those treacherous shores
To battle them who start the wars
They came of every race the mingled swarm
In proud defiance to withstand a deadly storm
Americas' hero’s shown in pristine glory
And to write Freedom's worthy story
For on these shores and lapping waves
Came the spirits of America’s brave
Some gains were made at heavy human cost
The price is high, but not, if Freedom’s lost
These soldiers’ knew not if they would survive the day
Their prayerful thoughts of loved one’s far away
Up and down this cursed blood filled coast;
Two-thousand lifeless bodies gave the most
They paid the price for freedoms sake
With salt tears, let us not their sacrifice forsake.
In December 1951, I turned ten years old--
Harry Truman was president of the United States,
The Korean Conflict raged on a faraway peninsula,
The Golden Gate Bridge closed due to high winds.
My mother developed melanoma in her left leg.
In December of 1956, I turned fifteen years old--
Dwight D. Eisenhower was president of the United States
The Korean Conflict was over,
Asian flu reached pandemic levels, and,
Elvis Presley purchased Graceland.
My mother died on a hot July 1957 evening in our home,
And our lives changed forever--
For, you see, our mother meant the whole world to us.
Elizabeth Agnes Allport Hankins was only forty-two-years old
when she passed away, leaving three children:
my sister Lois, the oldest at twenty-two,
my brother Jimmie, the youngest at ten,
and me.
Two communities mourned the death of our sweet, Godly mother
who for a little over five years, through suffering and pain,
cared for us kids and taught us how to care for ourselves, for
“After I’m gone,” she would say, “You’ll need to know this.”
We never heard her cry,
We never heard her complain,
We never heard her express fear.
We never heard her question her faith in God.
For years, no matter where I was living, I would always return
on Memorial Day to visit my mom’s grave in
that old, overgrown cemetery in the West Virginia hills.
One Memorial Day, I suddenly realized something I had not before.
My mother never has lain deep in that cold, stony ground--
She forever lies in the sweetest, Godliest depths of her children's hearts,
She is still watching over us just like she always did,
and, because she is always with us,
We need never go back.
FIRST PLACE WINNER
Written on March 28, 2021
For the “Mother” Contest
Sponsored by Constance La France
General Eisenhower was a man of foresight
General Eisenhower had photographs taken
because he knew that evil is eternal
because he knew that Satan is immortal
because he knew someday some would deny
that it ever happened....
The college town of Evanston was where we first met.
It was the summer of 1970, when Mr. Nixon was president.
It would be two years later before we’d be married;
And we were forced to be long distance lovers.
Before the internet and wide use of cell phones, we made expensive landline calls, or otherwise wrote letters.
Yes, we did ‘the otherwise’ and wrote letters between the lakes.
My lake? Lake Michigan in Chicago. And hers? Winona Lake, Indiana.
The letters are most revealing of two people engaged to be married.
They portray simple facts, figures, people, places, and things.
One of the envelopes reveals a postal date of March 8, 1972, and a .08 postage stamp with the face of President Eisenhower.
My future wife indicated that it arrived the very next day.
This was long before Fed Ex and US Postal Next Day Express.
It seems that some things, like mail, take longer now and rises in price;
But life and love were simple and beautiful then, as we read our letters.
Between weekends; between two lakes; and between two states;
Love and romance were sweet, even though separated by some 90 miles.
Long before Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, there was love and romance.
Long before the instant gratification of email, there was long distant love.
Yes. The love was tried, but it thrived. The time and space were long.
Moreover, the love not only survived, but has lasted more than 40 years.
10122016 PS Contest, Long Distant Love, Nicola Byrne. 5P
A is for Adams, second and sixth presidents.
B is for two Bushes who were Whitehouse residents.
C is for Clinton, forty-second president of nation.
D is for Davis, President of Southern Federation.
E is for Eisenhower, a president and World War hero.
F is for President Fillmore who was pretty much a zero.
G is for President Grant, a general in the Civil War.
H is for President Hayes whom we don’t speak of any more.
I is for Isabella, two queens of England, one of Spain.
J is for President Jefferson seen by some as being vain.
K is for President Kennedy who was assassinated.
L is for President Lincoln whose worth can’t be over-stated.
M is for Presidents four and five, Madison and Monroe.
N is for Naguib, Egyptian president of sixty years ago.
O is for Obama, who is USA’s first black president
P is for Polk .who was number eleven to that office sent.
Q is for Quezon, first president of Philippines.
R is for two Roosevelt’s with five presidents in between.
S is for Saul, King of Israel, and he was a very wise man.
T is for President’s Tyler and Taylor and Taft and Truman.
U is for Umberta, king of Italy before he had to go.
V is for Van Buren, 8th president, plagued by financial woe.
W is for President Washington, number one in every way
X is for Xuanzong, Chinese emperor in long ago day.
Y is for Yeltsin, elected Russian president in 1990
Z for Ziaulhaq ten-year president of Pakistani.
These men of fame and some of shame, were leaders in their time.
Their names in history are writ and fill this little rhyme.
(Before rushing to judgment, Robert Wright Lee IV, a young pastor of 24, has asked the statues of Gen. Lee be rescued from extremists. He got threats!)
KNOWN MYSTERIES ABOUT GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE
President Eisenhower kept a portrait of the grand rebel General
Proudly among four in his Office, DDE himself said on TV
Later telling a New York dentist, a few more good men
With “his rare qualities” would defeat the new Soviet enemy
Of course, I like President Ike
Hero of the GOOD WAR, that against Nazi Germany
But Ike had great generals and the nuke
And didn’t shorten the Cold War (a global Civil Calamity)
After historians, “Lost Cause” artists, and Davis’ SHS
(Southern Historical Society) fought on with the pen
The Civil War will never end, unless it end in the hearts
When South and North boldly repent: Accept Godly Reconciliation
Roy Blount Jr. saw through one part of this mystery
“As a father Lee was fond but fretful, as a husband devoted but distant.”
At Gettysburg, war-weary Lee twice silenced James Longstreet
Lee rushed uphill to Union troops - an “attacking general” who was “inspiring but not cogent.”
At the start of the war, Lincoln courted Lee for Union Commander
Then Virginia decided to join the Confederacy
Like soldiers who choose moral blindness, Lee would not fight his Virginia
Not much of “One America” then; each State was like a country
And yet, he had some sense of the sins of slavery
It weighed more heavily on whites than on backs of blacks,
He thought – Lee added more, something we no longer say:
“Those people are better off here than in their Continent” !!
January 17, 1961
"We pray," he said
"that people of all faiths
all races, all nations..
will come to live
together in a peace
guaranteed by
the binding force
of mutual respect
and love."
“…in a nationally televised speech, Dwight D. Eisenhower addresses the American people for the last time as president. Expressing ideas that seem prophetic in retrospect, Eisenhower offered his fears and hopes for the future, warning against the unfettered growth of the "military-industrial complex," as he coined it, and calling for diplomacy, restraint, and compassion in dealing with future crises with the Soviet Union. Despite his sadness that peace was not in sight, the great Allied commander offered [the above] a closing prayer to the world from America.”