Gemstones: the Watergate hearings

August 28, 1973  (I was 28)

Gemstones: the Watergate hearings

         1

Old Sam Ervin

keeps rollin along

All pools and reflections

on the surface

but the undercurrent cuts strong

From a course set young

Old Sam Ervin keeps rolling along

His gavel is a gift from the Indians

who know when a treaty is broken

A Washington tomahawk

just west of the Watergate

         2

Mr. Erlichman’s hair sweats.

The House audience does not like him.

On TV his eyes look like arrow holes.

He is not a good liar;

fear and guilt tinge his motions.

I find this admirable,

mildly redeeming to be unaccustomed to such pressure.

But for this my wife finds him despicable,

not full of character like indignant John Mitchell

who can lie

(and know that his lies are known)

without flinching; steadfastly,

nonchalantly playing the game.

         3

Howard Baker tires;

after eight weeks his versatility’s gone

and his conservative indolence shows.

His initial analytical interrogation

has gotten fat-

superfluous and verbose.

Perhaps he begins to wonder

why the truth has not told itself,

pulled itself from its secret file

and run its verbal images

across our magnetic ears.

         -Gemstone was the name of Gordon Liddy’s “dirty tricks” proposals to upset operations of the ’72 Democratic Convention and to counteract protestors at the Republican Convention.