A Trial Race

Dan Ben-Amos

Once, in the autumn, on a breezy day,
the four freedoms decided to race.
Just for fun, just for play,
A wreath would be given to the one in first place.

All four lined up at the start:
the freedom from fear,
and the freedom from want,
the freedom of speech,
and the freedom of faith,    
and a crowd to cheer,
and VIPs on the dais.

They almost ran,
but before they began,
out of the blue, 
a strange creature showed up.
A limping short fellow,
a weird freedom five, 
one we’d never heard of in our lives.
On his lame leg he hobbled, approached
the famed four freedoms,
and chuckling slyly with a wink in his eye,
“I would like to race too,” said he with a smile.

The freedoms replied as loud as they could
and asked in contempt and some pity,
“Who is this dud? 
What freedom are you?”
With a blink and a snuff
the dud replied,
“I am the freedom to bluff.”

Their laughter roared like a waterfall,
“Will this one compete with those fleet-footed four?
“He will stumble and fall, be a ridicule to all!
He is a short lame fellow, nothing more.”

But, wait, keep quiet. The race has begun, 
the laughter subsiding, the crowd is stunned.
Their eyes open wide, their tongues stilled, no trace.
The freedom to bluff is in first place.

Another race, then two more,
the freedom to bluff is ahead of all four. 
And when behind him they finish the race, 
they hardly could each other face. 

Fear then seized the four freedoms.
Their teeth chattered so loud.
And more than the others, 
in a feverish frenzy
the freedom from fear 
trembled like crazy.

The freedom to bluff stood up in the ring, 
calling, “The crown’s mine, I am the king.”

The freedom to bluff has his way. He is humble at first,
beginning to run in short distance races.
In trials, start to finish,
he gains some strength, muscling up his legs.
And if the world lets him, 
this short fatty fellow will certainly
overtake nations’ hopes, nations’ dreams,
to come first and proclaim,
“Peace is my goal, peace is my aim.”

Those who let him into the racing field,
ensure it’s to him that freedom will yield.