PHC
The Prairie Home Companion’s changing hands,
Chris Thile standing in for Garrison,
Much to the consternation of old fans
Who see in him there’s no comparison.
Though Thile is a whiz on mandolin
And sings his tenor part with vim and vigor,
To Keillor’s baritone it sounds quite thin,
And Garrison in other ways is bigger.
Keillor is a presence who will haunt
This show that he has honed for forty years,
A hefty specter who makes Chris seem gaunt
By geniality that wins, endears.
No, Garrison, though you have earned a break,
To leave forever were a sad mistake.
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