….does not inhabit the halls of power.

Rather the power of the halls inhabits him.

Slowly, at first,

.like a subtle hint.

Then, almost unnoticed,

a wringing-out of heart.

Then, as he acquiesces,

gradually, his mind surrenders

the pale memories of his early, naive hopes,

leaving the hollow shell

of what he used to be,

with a blank visage smirking at a stale joke

delivered in a ghost-scribbled-speech

by a long gone mentor,

his colleagues tounge

flapping in a dry wind.

Behind them hangs their limp and faded flag.