realpolitik

Gantz offers Netanyahu a reprieve
and claims himself compassion's soft spotlight.
If Bibi'd demonstrate the sense to leave,
he'd snuff this endless internecine fight.
Zimbabwe pioneered the compromise
to send Mugabe back to his own farm
forgoing restitution for his lies
before he did the country still  more harm.
The classic text from Harvard/MIT
foretells this tale as if it were on rails.
Elites who fence off opportunity
will drag us back around "Why Nations Fail".
Corrupt foundations undermine the State;
what's not legitimate, cannot be great.

tropical parasite

Mugabe's widow wakes to mounting dread
there's none to take her shopping, anymore.
A million in Harare want her dead;
perhaps it's wise to relocate offshore.
There's always Paris where she'll make the scene
beyond the reach of Mnangagwa's cops.
And they'll pretend her filthy lucre's clean
if she'll but patronize the proper shops.
The dowager withdraws to count her loot
above the fray of speeches, ballots, knives...
content that no one's gonna prosecute,
while commoners make shift to just survive.
As onerous as British overlords
kleptocracy proved too much to afford.

slow fade

Eleven years, Mugabe stewed in jail
emerging, he cast off the White Man's Yoke,
but lived to see his revolution fail.
What started hopeful withered to a joke.
Eight years,  George Washington served, then retired
to work his farm, and watch his project bloom.
Mugabe mistrusts everyone he'd hired,
who'd hang him for his crimes, if they but knew.
T'was Tsangirai contrived the twilight deal,
to spare his country further ill-repute.
No precedent for those inclined to steal,
but this one case, he would not prosecute.
Mugabe's dead, Zimbabwe does not grieve
too busy rooting out his den  of thieves.

post-Mugabe

Mugabe's party's showing him the door
but he's still disinclined to quit this race.
He likes his chances in a civil war
and never showed George Washington's good grace.
A revolutionary gone to seed
too often clings to power by diktat.
No longer servant to the People's need,
the aging Comrade's now the autocrat.
The neighbors know a coup's bad precedent
the military brass must know their role
if they can overthrow a president,
they may not need a vote to take control.
A revolution's an unruly thing
too many officers want to be king.

Powerbroker

Mugabe's out, four decades past his prime.
The people sniff the air of liberty.
His revolution, frozen out of time
forgot Zimbabweans yearn to be free.
The generals insist they've staged no "coup"
Their fight is only in the public's cause
by rooting out corruption by "the few"
they'd reinstate a government of laws.
George Washington achieved what he'd aspired
to do. His battles had been fought, and won
eight years in office, then he just retired.
A gracious exit when his role was done.
Mugabe's legacy's now cast in doubt
his dowager's been bested in a rout.