Engineer and entrepreneur Edmund Schweitzer III writes a few rhymes on tariffs

From staff reports

Limericks are one of the most famous forms of poetry in the Western world. Short and easily memorized, the five-line rhymes are often absurd and frequently obscene, as evidenced by the many variations on the best known opener: “There once was a man from Nantucket.”

The city of Limerick in the Republic of Ireland is popularly believed to be the source of the name of this particular type of poem. Limerick is one of Spokane’s sister cities, a relationship fostered by the late Spokane Mayor Jack Geraghty, who was himself known by friends and family for spinning the bawdy rhymes.

But not all limericks are lewd, and sometimes they are a form of cultural or political expression. The day after President Donald Trump announced 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico, Edmund O. Schweitzer III, founder of Pullman-headquartered Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories and free-trade proponent, wrote six limericks “as a semi-constructive release of energy.”

The Spokesman-Review is publishing these rhymes with Schweitzer’s permission.

•••

Our new president named Donald J Trump

Threw Free Trade right into the dump.

Despite all of our labors,

and those of our neighbors,

The economy ended up in a slump.

•••

Trump just back from a rally

Asked “What the heck is Smoot Hawley?”

“We’ll impose the new duty,

and collect lots of booty.”

But the economy slid into a valley.

•••

While sitting on the edge of his bed,

Trump must have bumped his red head.

For he imposed new trade duties,

and claimed “They’re real beauties”

But the economy quickly dropped over dead.

•••

“There’s something I think that I hafta,

That’s blown up what’s left of the NAFTA.”

Singing “Y M C A,

Let’s do it my way … ”

But depression soon ended his laughta!

•••

“The economy will do what I say!”

“Look what I did just today!”

“Since I’m the new sheriff,

I put in the huge tariff.”

… So why’d our trade go away???