I’d like you to take a look at another poem-a-day series I am editing, still around our democracy under siege, but in a somewhat different vein.
About six weeks ago, I started working with poet Dale K. Nichols on a poem-a-day Substack called Never Trump Poetry. The title sort of says it all. But that won’t stop me from telling you more about it.
The poems in Never Trump Poetry are Dale’s poems—That’s right: all Dale K. Nichols, all the time. So this message is not a solicitation for submissions; rather, it is an invitation for you to take a look at Never Trump Poetry.
I call Dale a Trillinesque poet—referring, as you might guess, to Calvin Trillin, the political columnist who has written for both The New Yorker and The Nation, and who doubles as what Trillin himself calls a “deadline poet.” Like Trillin’s poetry, Dale’s poetry is usually rhymed and metered, often—but not always—in a ballad rhythm. Here’s an example from a recent Never Trump Poetry post.
The Other Executive Branch
Welcome to our Executive Branch!
The capital’s newest club
expressly for the ultra rich—
All others will be snubbed.
Invitation only, just
half a million bucks,
and you too can rub noses with
the “we-don’t-give-a-f**ks.”
In Georgetown set to open at
an unannounced location,
exclusive access you’ll receive
to Trump’s Administration.
There’s no more need to wallow in
the waters of the swamp
when you can dine with top flight wines
in circumstance and pomp.
Dale—like me, and like many of you—is a member of the Baby Boom generation, those of us born between 1946 and 1964. Dale is a Never Trumper. That means he is a member of the conservative opposition to Donald Trump.
Dale started writing poetry just a couple of years ago as a creative outlet to help fill the void left behind a 38 year career as a practicing attorney. He lives with his wife in Beverly Shores, Indiana.
Dale and I started Never Trump Poetry with three main goals:
- To build community around Dale’s poetry and its message
- To provide some entertainment during trying times
- To support the work of pro-democracy organizations
Any revenue that Dale receives from paid subscriptions goes to pro-democracy causes like the ACLU and others who are fighting in the courts and elsewhere to save our democracy. But for now, I would be very pleased if you simply became a free subscriber and enjoyed Dale’s poems and my editor’s notes.