AN ODE TO SCOTUS

By Eric Segall


The summer heat is about to be over
Now the Justices start a brand new year

My forecast is for another term quite bleak
These important cases will be argued in the dark

But we will just have to wait and see

Soon will come the first Monday in October

The Justices traveled far and wide

To forget last term or so they tried

Same sex marriage, the death penalty, and Obamacare

Gave the Justices quite a scare

It was perhaps their grumpiest term

Scalia's anger made the press corps squirm

This Term won't better I fear
Hard cases are coming this year

Affirmative Action is back in Court

The Conservatives will try to cut it short

They say they decide by history and text

But on this issue, it’s all pretext

They say colorblind the Constitution must be

But I am afraid that I must seriously disagree

From our beginning to Brown in 1954

Whites almost always closed the school house door

Now schools want to make up for the past

And bring real diversity to the country at last

But without any basis in law or fact

SCOTUS may make our country go way back

One person one vote is also near

The law on this couldn’t be more unclear

The issue is whether to count person or voter

There will be much confusion before it’s over

The Court made it all up from the start

From text and history they did depart

So the rooster has now come home to roost

The GOP will get the boost

Abortion and immigration are not far behind

To women and the poor the Court is usually unkind

These arguments will take place in the dark
For secrecy is the Court’s hallmark

Cameras the Justices say will lead to danger

But their arguments couldn't be stranger

Their oral arguments Americans should see

In the name of greater transparency

But don’t expect cameras anytime soon

Much easier just to shoot the moon

Will Scalia and Ginsburg finally retire

A decision by either I would greatly admire

For that we will have to wait and see
For it may all depend on Hilary

Until then this ode must come to an end

I thank Mr. Dorf, my blogger and friend