As some of you know, I have an odd little project that involves translating Barack Obama's speeches and addresses into Burma-Shave jingles. I'm not sure what set me off on this project, but it's become a bit of an obsession by now. Usually I just create a single stanza (six little roadside signs, as it were) for each address. This allows me to put the stanzas on Twitter. But Tuesday's address demanded more, and my translation ended up taking a little more time. Here it is.
1.
You don't need numbers
To see the truth
Of this
Recession's
Azimuth:
Pointingdown
2.
The answers lie
Within our reach
With those who make
And those
who teach:
Imagipreneurs
3.
It's time we come
To recognize
That short-term
Thinking
Isn't wise:
Agendaset
4.
I know the skeptics
Don't believe
But I've got
Nothing
Up my sleeve:
It'sontheweb
5.
We'll break the cycle
Re-start the credit
We'll do it
Just the way
I said it:
Accountable
6.
The Wall Street traders
Start to sing
A sad song
When they see
The strings:
Notaboutthebanks
7.
We must acknowledge
Bigger facts;
We can't let
Anger guide
Our acts:
Solvetheproblem
8.
History teaches
That the nation
Responds
To crisis
With transformation:
Conditionate
9.
We're oil addicts
To get off it
Green energy
Must turn
A profit:
Reimagine
10.
Though it might
Be tempting fate
Health care
Reform
Cannot wait:
Consciencecause
11.
For schools to offer
Better courses
They need more
Than a few
Resources:
Togethernow
12.
In the long run
We'll have to get
Our children's
Children
Out of debt:
Inheriburden
13.
I think about
Leonard Abess
Ty’Sheoma Bethea
Greensburg
Kansas:
Noquitterswe
14.
We may not always
Have agreed
But want
Our country
To succeed:
Godblessetc.