Election Day

This is the second poem that I wrote for submission in a social work journal poetry contest. As the title would indicate, it was written as my perspective of the state of politics in our country. Whether you are Republican, Democrat, Independent, etc., it's very obvious that there is a significant negative energy associated with the political scene, and that energy is completely counter productive. Both sides are more interested in mud slinging and making themselves appear above reproach- and it's frankly sickening me.

Like my first poem, the premise of this one is that as the human nation, we share so much with our fellow man and yet we throw all those commonalities to the curb in the interest of our differences. I'm not trying to say that we should all be the same- because aside from being boring, that would be counter-productive. We need a degree of conflict and tension in order to keep the machine humming along. However, this can occur without the needless attacks and finger pointing.

As you read this, try and hold hands with someone and sing 'Kumbaya'.

Election Day

We’re all a “they” to “them”
To some men

Each side firing the weapons of “their” demise
At the other guys

Insults like boomerangs, we fire away with blind eyes
But aren’t “we” the “other” guys?

Oh, no time to sit and discuss, because of this mistrust we let fester
This unity we’ve sequestered

We cast votes, we cast stones
United as alone

Let’s abuse the issues until the hatred is diffused
So we can win and “they” lose.

Meanwhile the walls around us crumble and fall
And still we point the finger at “them” all

The world we live in together can still be saved
But we’d rather take our pride to our graves