• Submit Poetry
  • Support SCP
  • About Us
  • Members
  • Join
Saturday, January 10, 2026
Society of Classical Poets
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Humor
    • Children’s
    • Art
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Human Rights in China
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Terrorism
    • Covid-19
  • Poetry Forms
    • Sonnet
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Villanelle
    • Rondeau
    • Pantoum
    • Sestina
    • Triolet
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Shape Poems
    • Terza Rima
  • Great Poets
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Homer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Dante Alighieri
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
    • William Blake
    • Robert Frost
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books
No Result
View All Result
Society of Classical Poets
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Humor
    • Children’s
    • Art
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Human Rights in China
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Terrorism
    • Covid-19
  • Poetry Forms
    • Sonnet
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Villanelle
    • Rondeau
    • Pantoum
    • Sestina
    • Triolet
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Shape Poems
    • Terza Rima
  • Great Poets
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Homer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Dante Alighieri
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
    • William Blake
    • Robert Frost
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books
No Result
View All Result
Society of Classical Poets
No Result
View All Result
Home Poetry Culture

A Poem on D.C.’s S.W.A.M.P., by Warren Bonham

May 11, 2024
in Culture, Poetry
A A
13
poems A Poem on D.C.'s S.W.A.M.P., by Warren Bonham

.

S.W.A.M.P.

Soulless, Warped, And Monstrous People
look at us as smelly “sheeple.”
Easily manipulated.
Otherwise, we’re mocked and hated.

Those revolting, loathsome creatures,
all have normal-looking features,
and since each one’s always lying,
they are hard identifying.

They’re well-practiced at concealing
what their blackened hearts are feeling
as they dress in sheeple clothing
to conceal their utter loathing.

But if searched for indirectly,
we can judge each one correctly.
They’re betrayed by how their labors,
show how much they hate their neighbors.

All their words suggest they’re caring,
while each one’s at work preparing
ways to profit swamp-like people
on the backs of “we the sheeple”.

Sheeple may smell like manure,
but smell better than the sewer
which loosed from its deepest levels
all our country’s swampy devils.

Washington’s now over-ridden.
Monsters there do not stay hidden.
Who can drain this putrid region
and trump this demonic legion?

There’s just one who’ll face the dangers
and drive out these money changers.
We’re saved from their vile behavior
only by our Lord and Savior.

.

.

Warren Bonham is a private equity investor who lives in Southlake, Texas.

ShareTweetPin
The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary.
Read Our Comments Policy Here
Next Post
‘A Mother’s Day Sonnet’ by Evan Mantyk

'A Mother’s Day Sonnet' by Evan Mantyk

‘Rosella’: A Mother’s Day Poem by Susan Jarvis Bryant

'Rosella': A Mother's Day Poem by Susan Jarvis Bryant

Winners of Friends of Falun Gong 2024 Poetry Competition Announced

Winners of Friends of Falun Gong 2024 Poetry Competition Announced

Comments 13

  1. Roy Eugene Peterson says:
    2 years ago

    Warren, great perceptive poem! I love the well-designed tagging and the creative abbreviation!

    Reply
    • Warren Bonham says:
      2 years ago

      One of our kids attended the College of William and Mary. Someone clever there came up with TWAMP as an acronym for “typical William and Mary person”. That got me thinking about possible SWAMP acronyms. I’m glad you enjoyed the poem!

      Reply
  2. Phil S. Rogers says:
    2 years ago

    Soulless warped and monstrous people. So much said in one little line.
    The use of the word trump is interesting. Great job.

    Reply
    • Warren Bonham says:
      2 years ago

      I had to throw a “trump” head-fake in there. Interesting is an apt description.

      Reply
  3. Gigi Ryan says:
    2 years ago

    Warren,

    I was carried off in the waves of your words. Toward the end I thought I knew where you were going; you surprised me and I was thrilled. I am reminded of Zechariah 4:6.

    Thank you.
    Gigi

    Reply
    • Warren Bonham says:
      2 years ago

      I’m glad the ending was surprising. I didn’t want to be too obvious. I’m going to go back a read the Zechariah reference. I must admit that Zechariah hasn’t been cracked open for quite a while.

      Reply
  4. Russel Winick says:
    2 years ago

    Great poem, Warren. And I agree.

    Reply
    • Warren Bonham says:
      2 years ago

      I’m glad you enjoyed it! Our Swamp could definitely use a thorough cleaning.

      Reply
  5. Daniel Kemper says:
    2 years ago

    Darkly hilarious. My great-grandfather, DC native, used to say, “Congress is the only whorehouse in the world that LOSES money!”

    Reply
    • Warren Bonham says:
      2 years ago

      I keep thinking the Swamp is a new development but I guess that DC has always been this way. I don’t know if that should make us feel better or worse, but I think I would have liked your great-grandfather.

      Reply
  6. Margaret Coats says:
    2 years ago

    The English colonists thought the river shores of Virginia were fever-inducing, and adding people with power to the sickly atmosphere naturally speeds up disease and corruption. Your final point is the correct attitude, Warren, but it is incumbent on those who lead any department or office to persevere in attempts to clean up the tangled mess. Glad your word choice gave some credit to Trump for trying, and hope he has another chance.

    Reply
    • Warren Bonham says:
      2 years ago

      It sounds like the Evil has always been there which is very disconcerting to hear. Trump is the best bet to chip away at the Swamp but I agree that it will take some real heart-surgery to truly eradicate the swampy behavior that is eating away at the soul of the country. Thanks very much for that additional context!

      Reply
  7. Joshua C. Frank says:
    2 years ago

    I like it! It drives home a serious point while being very entertaining.

    However, I don’t think the last stanza works. You could have left it out, making use of the word “trump” as a pun, implying that Trump being back in office would turn things around.

    As it is, the last stanza elicits the response:

    Do you think your God and Savior
    Saves you from their vile behavior
    Tramping on your rights inviolate?
    God gave power to Pontius Pilate!

    (See John 19:11.)

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. Paddy Raghunathan on Poems for Parents Whose Children Are Going Away to College, by Paddy RaghunathanJanuary 9, 2026

    Thanks for your sweet comment, Allyson. At this time, they aren’t. But your words are going to inspire me to…

  2. Tom Riley on Two Sonnets by Nino Martoglio, Translated by Joseph S. SalemiJanuary 9, 2026

    Enjoyed the sonnets — and profited from the notes. I like to see the decisions made by a translator, especially…

  3. Alec Ream on ‘The Sun’ and Other Poetry by Alec ReamJanuary 9, 2026

    Thanks, James - terse is a high compliment. Savory's likely the most deserving, but under rated compliment in terms of…

  4. Joseph S. Salemi on Two Sonnets by Nino Martoglio, Translated by Joseph S. SalemiJanuary 9, 2026

    Adam, thank you for this enthusiastic comment. Yes, the prejudice against any "dialects" in Italy was great after the nation's…

  5. C.B. Anderson on ‘Art and Nature’ and Other Poetry by C.B. AndersonJanuary 9, 2026

    Sometimes, Paul, I feel as though I write with my tongue in my ear. That's hard to do. It's a…

Receive Poems in Your Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,620 other subscribers
Facebook Twitter Youtube

Recent Poems

  • ‘The Measure of a Woman (or a Man)’ and Other Poetry by Paul A. Freeman
  • ‘Encounter with My Dead Father’: A Poem by Scharlie Meeuws
  • Two Sonnets by Nino Martoglio, Translated by Joseph S. Salemi
  • ‘Wall of Ice’ and Other Poetry by James Bontrager
  • ‘King of Poets’: A Poem by Margaret Coats
  • ‘Watercolors’: A Poem by Susan Steele Rives
  • ‘Art and Nature’ and Other Poetry by C.B. Anderson
  • ‘Star of Wonder’: A Poem by James A. Tweedie
  • ‘Yeonmi Park’s Advice to Americans’: A Poem by Warren Bonham
  • ‘Caravaggio’: A Poem by Lisa J. Roberts
  • ‘Refrigerator Bird’ and Other Poetry by Armaan Fatteh-Patil
  • ‘The Oak Trees’: A Poem by Bhikkhu Nyanasobhano
  • ‘A Cardinal on a Snowy Day’: A Poem by Rob Fried
  • Poets Susan Jarvis Bryant and James Sale Respond to Mamdani’s Swearing In as NYC Mayor
  • ‘Single Room Cigarette, 17th Floor Yale Club of Manhattan’: A Poem by Alec Ream
  • ‘Legacy of Light’: A Poem by Martin Briggs
  • ‘The Swarm’ and Other Poetry by Cheryl Corey
  • ‘Lament of a Poet Falsely Accused of Using AI’ and Other Poetry by Paul Buchheit
  • ‘A Gift from the South’: A Poem by Julian Woodruff
  • ‘New Year’s Peeve’: A Poem by Susan Jarvis Bryant
  • ‘Homage to Brigitte Bardot’: A Poem by Joseph S. Salemi
  • ‘Dearth of Emotional Intelligence’ and Other Poems by Russel Winick
  • ‘Fireflies’: A Poem by Mark Stellinga
  • ‘Real Poetry’: A Poem by Eric v.d. Luft
  • ‘Flaws’: A Poem by Joshua Thomas
  • Two Final Poems by Sally Cook
  • ‘Twelve Labors More, Part I’: A Poem by Evan Mantyk
  • ‘A Perfect Match is Found’: A Poem by Roy E. Peterson
  • ‘The Seven Crossings’: A Poem by Ulysses Arlen
  • ‘An Open Book’ and Other Poetry by David McMahon

Categories

  • Acrostic
  • Alexandroid
  • Alliterative
  • Art
  • Best Poems
  • Blank Verse
  • Chant Royal
  • Classical Poets Live
  • Clerihew
  • Covid-19
  • Deconstructing Communism
  • Educational
  • Epic
  • Epigrams and Proverbs
  • Essays
    • Interviews with Poets
    • Poetry Reviews
  • Featured
  • From the Society
  • Great Poets
    • Dante Alighieri
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Homer
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Robert Frost
    • William Blake
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
  • Human Rights in China
  • Limerick
  • Love Poems
  • Music
  • Pantoum
  • Performing Arts
  • Poetry
    • Beauty
    • Children's Poems
    • Culture
    • Ekphrastic
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Humor
    • Riddles
  • Poetry Challenge
  • Poetry Contests
  • Poetry Forms
    • Haiku
  • Poetry Readings
  • Rhupunt
  • Rondeau
  • Rondeau Redoublé
  • Rondel
  • Rubaiyat
  • Sapphic Verse
  • Satire
  • Science
  • Sestina
  • Shape Poems
  • Short Stories
  • Song Lyrics
  • Sonnet
  • Symposium
  • Terrorism
  • Terza Rima
  • The Environment
  • Translation
  • Triolet
  • Video
  • Villanelle

Quick Links

  • About Us
  • Submit Poetry
  • Become a Member
  • Members List
  • Support the Society
  • Advertisement Placement
  • Comments Policy
  • Terms of Use

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Humor
    • Children’s
    • Art
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Human Rights in China
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Terrorism
    • Covid-19
  • Poetry Forms
    • Sonnet
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Villanelle
    • Rondeau
    • Pantoum
    • Sestina
    • Triolet
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Shape Poems
    • Terza Rima
  • Great Poets
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Homer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Dante Alighieri
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
    • William Blake
    • Robert Frost
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books

© 2025 SCP. WebDesign by CODEC Prime.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.