Hart Seely Books

The book explores the intersection of politics and poetry in Washington, D.C., questioning whether the daily news can be seen through a poetic lens. The author, known for his witty commentary, likens the political landscape to a nursery, using the playful spirit of Mother Goose to craft humorous nursery rhymes that reflect the absurdities of political life. Through clever metaphors, the work highlights the often comical nature of political events and figures, providing a refreshing perspective on the serious world of politics.

Until now, the poetry of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has been hidden, "embedded" within comments made at press briefings and in interviews. His preferred medium is the spoken word, and his audience has been limited to hard-bitten reporters and hard-core watchers of C-SPAN. Just as The Iliad and The Odyssey were spoken aloud by many bards, in many variations, before Homer captured them on paper, the Rumsfeld improvisations have finally met up with their perfect editor/enabler. Hart Seely, coeditor of O Holy Cow! The Selected Verse of Phil Rizzuto, uncovers the gems hidden within hundreds of hours of Rumsfeld commentary, in the form of Zen verse, haiku, sonnets, lyric poetry, and free verse. In addition, Seely's sharp sleuthing has uncovered two thematic collections: Rumsfeld's Songs of Myself, and Nine Poems on the Media. The result is a hilarious and irreverently revealing book both by and about one of the world's most powerful men.