Fawn, Lick and Grovel
Fawn, Lick and Grovel’s advice has come in:
Turn the other cheek, take it on the chin.
It’s should be simple to sit there and grin,
While he spills all his gibberish and bile
(In other circumstances, you might smile).
You have to be his stooge and feel his smack,
And grit your teeth as you’re stabbed in the back.
A handshake with the king, or fulsome praise,
May push humiliation back some days,
But in the end, this dissolute liar
Will drag you back to his line of fire.
However much you grovel, lick or fawn,
Your efforts to impress will be forlorn:
You’ll join the pile of rejects on his lawn.
Rolph David
Sun 16th Mar 2025 17:24
Dear Stephen,
Reading "Fawn, Lick and Grovel" felt like a much-needed release. The way you lay bare the toxic cycle of submission and humiliation that comes with dealing with a manipulative figure like the one in your poem is striking. It’s painful yet perfectly true, this idea of constantly fawning, licking, and groveling to someone who only rewards you with backstabbing and lies. You capture that feeling of being caught in an endless loop where no matter how hard you try to appease them, you’re left standing alone in the end. That pile of rejects on his lawn—it really hits home.
I have to admit, your poem resonates on a deeply personal level. Trump has been busily occupying my mind too—too much, honestly. It’s like his influence is so contagious, and the negativity he spreads seems to infect everything around him. It's almost impossible to look away from the spectacle, even when you know that engaging with it only leads to more frustration and despair. It’s like we’re stuck in this toxic cycle of appeasement, where no amount of groveling or compromise will ever lead to anything other than humiliation and division. How did someone like him come to have such a grip on so many people’s thoughts and actions? It feels almost contagious, as if his manipulative tactics are so widespread they’re poisoning everything they touch.
Reading your poem helps me step back and reflect on that feeling of being trapped, of giving in to that cycle. It’s a powerful reminder of how much damage a person like this can do — and how important it is to break free from that hold before we become just another discarded reject on his metaphorical lawn.
Thank you for sharing this raw and brutally honest piece. It’s exactly the kind of reflection needed in times like these.
Regards,
Rolph