The Time Has Come

The first and penultimate paragraphs (in italics) are, of course, quotes from "The Walrus and the Carpenter," from Through the Looking Glass, by Lewis Carroll

copyright © 2005 by Robert L. Blau

 

The Walrus and the Carpenter
Were walking close at hand;
They wept like anything to see
Such quantities of sand:

"You know," mused the Walrus, "there are a few things I've been wondering about. That is, ever since you ... became President of the United States of Through the Looking Glass."

"Oh, really?" replied the Carpenter. "Do tell."

"For one thing, there's AFFTA."

"The All Fantasy Free Trade Agreement? It will bring illusory prosperity to all fantasy worlds. And your question is ... ?"

"It's just that ... well, most of us aren't seeing any prosperity coming out of it. In fact, what we're seeing is all our jobs flying away and little, under-age fairies laboring for peanuts in making running shoes in sweatshops."

"Isn't it a lovely day?" said the Carpenter.

"And another thing," said the Walrus. "I was wondering why you sent the fleet off to the Gulf to make war on Oz."

"Terrorism," said the Carpenter.

"No," said the Walrus. "That's been debunked."

"Weapons of Magical Destruction," said the Carpenter.

"No," said the Walrus. "That, too."

"Save the Munchkins from the Wicked Witch of the West," said the Carpenter.

"By bombing them back to the Prefantasy Age?"

"See how the sun is shining on the sea," said the Carpenter.

"Then there's the matter of the last couple of elections, which you supposedly won," said the Walrus pointedly. "All the votes are supposed to be delivered sealed for counting. But many of the wax seals had been broken prior to counting. Do you have an explanation for that?"

"Ah, democracy at work!" said the Carpenter. "Isn't it wonderful?"

"What about all the genetically engineered food your guys have been secretly foisting off on the folks of TLG? And your adulteration of standards for organic foods? Why, people can't tell if they're buying an organic cabbage or a frankencabbage anymore!"

"See how smooth and bright the billows are!" said the Carpenter with emotion.

"Your administration has really been curtailing civil liberties lately. You know, a lot of us are beginning to suspect that what you're really trying to do is destroy our democracy and build an empire in its stead."

"Oh, look at how sulky the moon is getting!" chuckled the Carpenter.

"But perhaps worst of all," continued the Walrus, "is what your guys are doing to the TLG environment. The sea has been getting ever so warm, and the scientists have been warning you, but you don't do anything, and now we're having all those awful hurricanes! Why, in the last one, people said livestock were being blown through the air."

"Oh, let's have some yummy oysters!" said the Carpenter.

"Now, see here," said the Walrus ...


"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings." 

And here, we thought it was just a nonsense rhyme.