Posted by Jason Diamond

When I think of Ronald Reagan, I don’t think of the Iran-Contra scandal or the whole nuclear arms buildup thing.  In fact, those things might not even make it into the top five.

When I think of president #40, the first thing I think of is poetry.  I think of The Gipper and in my mind I hear “Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Ronald Wilson Reagan.”  I see a picture of Ronald dozing off in an interview and I’m inspired to proclaim that “that’s our Keats.”  And just in case you’re curious, the next thing I think about is Michael J. Fox in Family Ties (which could also count as poetry), and then I think of that Genesis video for “Land of Confusion.”

Because of all that, I’m working hard to write a poem to enter into this contest to commemorate the late President’s 100th birthday, mostly because I want to win the $50 gift card to Applebee’s, but also because I want to write something that will pay tribute to a guy that inspired so many awesome people who had no business getting into politics to reach a little higher.

For Ronnie.  Whatever.

That Genesis video you inspired was fucking baller.

I wet myself with fright that night

I first saw it

on MTV.

But then like a light

Family Ties came on,

Alex P. and his friend Skippy.

“Tear this wall down.”

I did.