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Monthly Verse

Grammar as Glue

First, assemble the Manifest Destiny engine,
Securing it with bolts that allow for expansion
And applying from the bottle that's red, white, and blue
The laissez-faire spirit gum grammar-and-usage glue.

The first person is I, whose object
Is me, and mine is the possessive.

Warning: besides faux prairies and waves of grain,
The Nation-Like-No-Other kit contains
Small parts that may be a choking hazard to children,
Flag pins and various amulets of the chosen.

I possess all that I own becomes
All that I possess is mine.

Fasten the Shining City to the Hill,
Ensuring the nuts are secure. With the Leveraged Capital
Rubberband, stretch an elastic liberty
Until it nearly snaps, from sea to sea.

To intensify the pronoun I
Simply use the reflexive myself:

Remove the armaments from the Mission Parts-tree
Preserving any excess for wires, antennae-
Remember, it's a short step from a hoarder's
Notion box to resplendent new world orders.

I saw myself in the mirror. The first
Person is I, the second you.

After assembly, register your exceptional
Nation with an authority that is supernal.
Mail in the number inscribed on the tin bracket
To the Boss of Providence in the Free Market.

The third and last is he-she-it.

By Phillip Fried

Phillip Fried reads "Grammar as Glue"

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