Election Day

 

We wear them with pride: “I Voted Today!” —

those little stickers, red and white and blue,

badges of honor, along with the way

we beam at each other: Citizens Doing

Our Duty — Everyone Gets a Prize!

This high school gym is a shrine of democracy

and we are its votaries. Lies

will be punished, the pundits and the talk

shows are done with talk — the campaigns are over.

Our smiles are the smiles of six-year-olds

and we’re just as cute as buttons — we love

knowing that we belong, our teacher told

us so, we’re good boys and girls, we got gold

stars today, and there’s nothing more to prove.

 

 

© Michael Fleming

Brattleboro, Vermont

November 2012

 

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