Show I Washington Wahington Picture Postcards The visual poetry of the Lincoln Memorial that warms your spirit and finds a home among your memories mem ories cries Modern Modem Federal buildings displaying their best architectural manners overlooking slum areas bruised by poverty Cherry trees wearing dainty blossoms Firing squads of reporters shooting sassy queries at public officials durIng during during dur dur- ing press conferences Homeless Homeless Homeless Home Home- less rumors racing from place to place about town The sun wrapping its beauties around the thelong thelong thelong long stone finger of the Washington Monument Lobbyists greeting those who can do them favors as though they meant it its The majestic atmosphere of the Supreme Court edifice where people converse in hi soft whispers for fear of scratching the varnished silence Nervous fingers of typewriter keys drumming out details of the Governments Government's Governments Government's Governments Government's Gov Gov- business Pretty gals who came to the capital for glamour and excitement hemmed In la by hard work during the day and surrounded by loneliness at night Legislators who crossed swords during public debate ping friendly words In cloakrooms The Capitol Dome whitewashed with moonlight the star among the city's sights Swanky old mansions reeking of history now serving as ordinary boarding houses for government government government gov gov- govI I workers Nerve centers of war agencies sprinkled with lights all night because because because be be- cause war is a hour 24 Job Human pell pell-melling pell melling through hotel I lobbies The well-manicured well tussles among social leaders to get important guests The Library Library Library Li Li- of Congress drenched with culture while people In buildings I around it are sweating to protect i everything It stands for The dressed best-dressed men In town- town Hoovers Hoover's G They are also the tha hardest punchers and the straightest shooters Uppity embassy parties par par- ties tics which provide a showcase for good manners and stale gossip A soldier and a girl holding hands handson on a park bench while a few blocks away decisions are made that will affect their then whole future Tots calmly strolling into schools to Ie learn learn- am amI I history as it is being made allaround all allaround allaround around them Alleged secrets being hushed about from place to place Most of them are re slices of bunk that start from II nowhere and end In the same place The exclamation point excitement excitement excitement excite excite- I ment around war agencies where decisions are made that affect Americans everywhere today and history tomorrow Horn blowing motorists in traffic Jams giving your nerves a toothache Tails of parked cars growing at every public building Movie theaters Jukebox joints saloons giving the entertainment sector a whiff whit of Broadways Broadway's atmo atmo- sphere But all gaiety simmers down to a whisper at midnight Uppity salons where Intellectuals gather to twiddle their opinions and Juggle yawns The many thrivIng thriving thriving ing palmists astrologers and other members of the crystal-ball crystal brig brig- ade Crowds waiting waltin for tables In eateries eaterIes eat eats eries cries waiting in the clogged traffic waiting for lor interviews waiting for rooms While natives of th the Capital City wait walt for the war to end so that they can fit themselves Into normal lives again Politicos treated like pleasant thoughts when they had power being Ignored like a cigarette butt as soon as they lose their Jobs The sign Washington The City Twilights Twilight's velvety glow coating the city with its natural natural nat nat- ural cosmetics which most people are too busy to notice The out out- tune of-tune symphony of sounds that starts in the morning snowballs into an avalanche by mid-day mid begins to evaporate as evening piles shadows in corners and buries itself in the silence of midnight The unbuttoned unbuttoned unbuttoned un un- buttoned atmosphere of week-ends week when humans get a chance to catch their breath Trains coughing out mobs arriving In town and gobbling those about to leave leavo Small patches on the seat of government eager to grab publicity publicity public public- ity spotlight crazy and Impress constituents back home Empty chairs In the House and Senate because because because be be- cause legislators do most of their work In committee rooms when rooms when they're no not doing things thing they shouldn't be doing Falla FaIla F lA with his wind blown coif coiffure ur romping along the White House lawn the the most famous dog since Rio Rio- Tin Tin-Tin at private parties parties parties par par- ties still nibbling on public debates between mouthfuls of food The hardest worker in town town the the President President dent The sour grapevine system system tem tern of public servants who are always al always al ai- ways ready to pass the buck or give an excuse instead of trying to rectify fy ty their ml mi mistakes t The many historical sights all over the place making the city Itself Ii a a dramatic museum |