‘An American Explains (to a Curious Brit)’: A Poem by Scharlie Meeuws

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An American Explains (to a Curious Brit)

On politics here—well, it twists and it bends,
Confusing beginnings with stranger dead-ends.
I’m mostly apolitical, shrugging, you see,
I listen to all—or to none—let me be.

The media swirls like a tempest gone wild,
Each outlet insists it has truth undefiled.
Two mighty narratives fight for the crown,
While dozens of others just muddle around.

Three kinds of people, at least, so I claim:
One swears by one story and plays the one game;
One listens to many and weighs what they hear;
And one simply yawns, says “I’ll buy you a beer.”

But no one’s “taken the cities,” dear friend.
We’ve three hundred million with lives to attend.
While D.C. is noisy, a capital show,
It isn’t the country—you ought to know!

Yes, clashings and crime make the headlines look grim,
But most daily lives carry on, neat and trim.
So worry not, Briton, the storm’s mostly air—
We muddle along, as they do everywhere.

And if you find Washington terribly odd,
Remember we beat you, and wield a big rod.

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Scharlie Meeuws, a poet born in Germany, began writing at a young age. She studied in Spain and France, writing poems in Spanish and French before settling in England, where she co-owns Thorntons Bookshop, the oldest in Oxford. Scharlie’s poetry has been featured in magazines and anthologies, including the Guardian. Her work was recognized by Nobel Prize winner Vicente Aleixandre. Her most recent book is The Emotional Robot and Other Poems. Her poetry book Outbranching was published by Cerasus, London in 2021 and is available on Amazon.