The 99 Poem Challenge
Fox-Trot-9
5. Acrostic — Franklin D. Roosevelt
Before you walk up to that podium, I must
Entreat you to be sincere in what you say.
Sincerity will garner you more than praise or votes:
It garners you respect in the eyes of your peers,
No matter what the outcome of your speech, be it good or bad or neither.
Care not for how you speak, or how you
End your arguments, but only for the message your words
Reveal. Speak boldly and honestly,
Even under the heavy scrutiny of your critics.
Before you deliver your speech, I must
Entreat you to be brief in what you say.
Brevity is the spirit of persuasion,
Revealing an entire world of truth
In just a few small words. Don't make your listeners
Endure an hour's worth of fancy talk, when just
Five minutes of honest insight will do.
By the time you end your speech, I must
Entreat you to be seated quickly and quietly.
Send your peers a message that you have an
Ear to listen as well as a mouth to speak, just
As they (too) have ears to listen to you speak.
Take your seat and be ready to listen and
Entreat others to do the same, for our
Democracy is built on honest speakers and honest listeners.
Be sincere, be brief, be seated.
—Franklin D. Roosevelt
(To be continued...)
A/N: An acrostic is a poem in which the first letter, syllable or word of each line, paragraph or other recurring feature in the text spells out a word or a message.
Meter: Free verse
Rhyme: None
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The 99 Poem Challenge (Fox-Trot-9) ✓
PoetryGenre: Poetry. Summary/Credits: This poem collection is for Warrior_Prophet's 99 Poem Challenge. Special thanks to cristinaaragon for making the book cover. All poems in this collection comprise of different poetry styles. Hope you enjoy! ( ^_^ ) St...
