A Loving Contribution
Writing about Morton's Fork I queried, which of us the dork The reader who forgets to ask Or the poet who may need a pass Never the remotest clue When writing about John and you Did Morton really have a fork? Long and sharp or more a spork? No win situation Heads I win and tails you lose A tax collector's fantasy Benevolence, a cut for me! If you're wealthy fork it over Don't plead poverty and lie Or squirrel it away Your free gift is in the cards today The King will not suffer liars Refuse his gentle offer and Learn about John Morton's spit Become King Henry's Welsh rarebit Copyright ©️ 2025, David Angel, All Rights Reserved PoetNote - "Morton's fork is the term given to a tricky bit of sophistry in which a conclusion is drawn in several different ways that contradict each other. It is named after Cardinal John Morton (Henry VII of England's sidekick). Morton was a tax collector. If someone was lavish in their spending, it was proof that they were rich and could afford to pay what was asked; if they were less forthcoming, it was evidence that they must have a great deal of savings from living such an austere lifestyle, and hence could likewise afford to pay. However, in Morton's defense, this tactic was primarily intended for prying money out of the clutches of tax-dodging Monopoly Men who were already known to be rich (some things never change, do they?)" -rationalwiki. org