by Gary Corseri
November 17, 2006

To impeach or not to impeach: that is the question.

Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,

And by opposing end them? To impeach: to sleep;

No more; and by a sleep to say we end

The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks

That flesh is heir to, ‘tis a consummation

Devoutly to be wished. To impeach, to sleep;

To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub.

For in that sleep, what dreams may come

When we have shuffled off this mortal coil

Of our perversity? Did we not wink at it,

Pledge mortal arms, the fortunes of our poor,

Sanction the conqueror go forth from cankered bed

Cry havoc on the curly heads of babes,

And kiss their bloody arms with our sweet words?

There’s the respect that makes calamity

Of so long life—there’s the respect must give us pause

And makes us rather bear those ills we have

Than fly to others that we know not of.
To impeach, or not to impeach—to ope

A can of worms of fetid humours, rank

With Hell, to peer into our own dank hearts

And sniff complicit greed and fear, draw forth

Contagion and bid the common herd draw nigh,

Smell, observe, witness their lords’ morass

Wherein the foulest goblins smear their lips

On carrion of innocents—forfend!--

It must not be. For who would fardels bare

To grunt and sweat under a weary life,

But that the fear of something after impeachment,

The undiscovered country from whose bourn

Only Clintons may return, puzzles the will

And makes us rather bear those ills we have

Than fly to others that we know not of?

Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;

And thus the native hue of resolution

Is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought,

And enterprises of great pith and moment

With this regard their currents turn awry,

And lose the name of action.

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Gary Corseri has taught in public schools and prisons in the U.S. , and at US and Japanese universities. His work has appeared at Dissident Voice, Redbook, Thomas Paine’s Corner, Common Dreams, Palestine Chronicle, TeleSurtv.net, CounterPunch, The New York Times, Village Voice, Prison Planet, City Lights Review, Atlanta-PBS, World Prout Assembly, etc. His books include: Manifestations (edited); Holy Grail, Holy Grail; and A Fine Excess. He can be contacted at: corseri@verizon.net.