What shall I say about Leopold,
That quaint figure of an age gone,
And, a ruler, ‘tho more a rogue,
Once, to his power, many were drawn?
To claim a land as one’s possession,
‘Mid the scramble for African land,
Can empire have a rightful succession,
Or, let the imperial rule be banned?
Exploit the resource, ivory and rubber,
But then the rogue’s rule must cease.
Gone the exploitation of a mugger,
Let new growth blossom with the release.
Aligned, instead, with natural principle,
A more just union, freedom for all,
With a variety of views permissible,
Letting new discourse find truth’s call.
This struggle may transcend tit for tat,
All souls can be an aristocrat.
Francis Conlon is a retired and recovering teacher. For the past 20 years, he has worked as a seasonal river ranger and boat inspector at Yampa River State Park in northwest Colorado. He has published in the local Valley Voice and in Westward Quarterly. He currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.