Tao De Ching, Poem 51... And A Bipartisan Peek Inside The Beltway

My old friend David Kahne sent me a poem yesterday that I want to share:

a person in Tao...

produces but does not possess
acts but does not flaunt
nurtures but does not dominate
this is called mystic virtue.

David told me he was thinking about Beltway politicians and it made him take a hand at doing his own poem-- I called it poem 51.01

a person in D.C. often...

possesses but does not produce
flaunts but seldom acts
dominates but does not nurture
this is called manic virtue.

Lao Tzu was a smart guy... David is too. I asked him if I could use his poems here at DWT and if I could credit him. "Sure, credit if you want. Or not. I'm producing without possessing." I guess that disqualifies him from Mitt's short list.