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These are Presidential Giants
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Here stands an elegant man-made edifice,
A house that is painted white,
Within it resides an office,
Whose power can turn the world’s tide.
Here lives a man who inherits the burdens
Of leadership exemplar of Washington,
The three government ideals of Lincoln,
And the democratic essence of Jefferson.
Within an office that is almost round,
He weighs heavily upon the matters of state;
With all the powers in the world that could be found,
He must guard against this temptation of fate.
He must bear in mind he was not anointed by religious rites,
Nor was he by royal hereditary law enthroned,
He governs vested solely by the nation’s constitutional rights
And by the mandates of the people is he ensconced.
His abilities are constantly tested by the stewardship
Of how wise and steadfast he steers the ship of state;
He must guide the country with true statesmanship
Through the perils of foreign threat and storms of public debate.
Sometimes he must sail against the tide of majority
To uphold and enforce the Constitutional laws;
He must safeguard the rights of minority
And put human and individual rights above it all.
His efforts must often seek out the common ground
And shepherd the nation towards the greater good,
To effect that out of many the best compromise could be found
To bind all citizenry in a united brotherhood.
May God bless this White House,
And our present and future presidents within it reside;
Whatever policies she or he may espouse,
Let the sacred charges of this noble office be their guide.
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