July 5, 1881 by Michael Ceraolo

 July 5, 1881

Garfield:

"History is but the unrolled scroll of Prophecy"

Guiteau:

As I have now entered History,

I will enter on the Record

how I compose my Prophecies:

"I weave the discourse out of my brain

as cotton is woven into a fabric

When I compose my brain is in a white heat,

and my mind works like lightning"

A fine example of that work would be

what has come to be known to History

as the Garfield vs. Hancock speech,

a speech I gave once to great effect

That speech, and all my writings

"I write so rapidly I can hardly read it . . .

I divest myself of all unnecessary clothing

I eat and sleep mechanically"

***"This poem is from Eighty Days, dramatic monologues for each of the days from July 2nd through September 19th, the period from the day when President James Garfield was shot by Charles Guiteau to the day he died."***