This is not About the Election

When we were children,
Our fathers, uncles, neighbors
Left for warships, battlefields,
Warplanes, field hospitals.
Blood, brains, and bones spewed
On deck, on meadows,
Fighting for democracy
Sacrificing lives, limbs,
Peace of mind.
But this is not about the election.

When we were barely grownups,
Friends, boyfriends, husbands
Left for snake infested jungles
Hunting an enemy that some
Questioned, “What enemy?”
Those left brought
College campuses to their knees.
National Guard,
Fixed bayonets on guns.
In jungles, on campuses
We fought for democracy.
Shots were fired
Sacrificing lives, limbs,
And peace of mind.
But this is not about the election.

When we were old,
Television displayed
A convicted felon, a racist, misogynist,
Liar, cheater, xenophobe
Promising to “protect
Women whether they liked it or not.”
Promising government by dictator.
To save democracy.
His rants destroyed dreams
Held by daughters, granddaughters,
And peace of mind for untold millions.
But this is not about the election.

In spare moments
We go to stable places,
Beaches, endless waves chasing
Peeps rolling along on the edge.
Pink and purple sunsets
Freeing our minds.
To forests, whispering
Breezes in branches,
Foxes sliding into safe burrows.
Wild places are unwavering.
But this is not about the election.

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