Pretend it Hero

He said he was too old to go to war,
so stayed at home to promote it instead.
Now he is idolised for evermore

whilst millions of others lay dead.
He cavorted across the silver screen
and propaganda was the food he fed.

His characters, constant, handsome and lean
law abiding, as straight as a die.
He was cast as the best, was always seen

as a man of honour, who baulked at a lie.
They called him Duke to show their respect
as American as blueberry pie.

He always walked tall, his bearing erect
though behind the mask his life was a sham.
Yet, he played the hero to great effect,

on the screen he was a shadow, a ham,
but in reality... what kind of a man?