What kind of kingdom is this?

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What kind of kingdom is this?
What sort of hair-brained scheme?
What manner of doting, eccentric palooka
thought up this silly sweet dream?

What kind of kingdom is this?
Without banner, anthem or vote?
Whose king is a daddy, whose soldiers his children,
whose castle has no walls or moat?

What kind of fortress here stands?
What battle could it ever win?
They conquer the enemy outside the gates
by simply inviting him in?!?!

What species of subjects are these
who bow to no visible chief?
Where patriots die, but its not for their country -
They die to themselves, for relief.

This is no banana republic;
There is no oppressive restraint;
There’s some kind of freedom and some kind of law,
but democracy it surely ain’t.

Explain please this war they are fighting,
With weapons you can’t touch or see?
Against just what army? Being fought on what hill?
And why should it matter to me?

What kind of kingdom is this?
The reasons can hardly be missed
why its citizens don’t seem to show themselves much.
Do they have to pay taxes for this?

[1989]