In the category of things that prove real life is stranger than fiction, Tampa’s poet laureate has composed a 324-word poem in honor of Gov. Charlie Crist, which he delivered for the first time Sunday.

Here’s a sampling of this ode to independence:

When Jefferson said, “We do believe
Mankind is born the same,”
What Democrat or Republican
stood to receive it in their name?
When Washington crossed the Delaware,
what Party might he be?
Had Lincoln been a Democrat,
Might he still have set Black folks free?
Would all the progress we have made,
in the name of Human Rights,
Now be recalled, to be renamed,
by political oversight?

The full version is available on the Crist website. No word yet whether Marco Rubio or Kendrick Meek will counter with rhyming stanzas of their own.