vans,
church buses
backed up for blocks.
Voters
participating Sunday
in
“Souls to the Polls”—
an
early-voting tradition.
The
traditional day
for
early-voting
is
the Sunday
just
before Election Day.
This
year Florida shortened
the
number of days for early-voting,
eliminating that Sunday.
You
can take a Sunday away,
but
you can’t take away
Our Vote!
Our Voice!
The procession of vehicles parked.
The people walked.
Dark suits, long dresses,
jeans and dress slacks,heels, sandals, and sneakers.
They walked the narrow path in the grass.
They walked across the railroad tracks.They walked past the political signs.
They walked like they were in a parade.
It was amazing to see
the
unity in the community.Today was about coming together.
The
image of a parade of mostly African-American people (Hispanics and Muslims
participated too) proudly
marching to the polls to cast their votes gets me misty-eyed.
It brings back memories of the civil rights marches. Shame on the
Florida Legislature
for trying to interfere with this tradition! Kudos
to the churches for refusing to be deterred.
© 2012 by Catherine
Giordano
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This is the best one yet.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I'm glad you like it. I actually think it is a little weak as a poem because I have to write within the rules I have established for news print poetry, but the message is definitely one of the best.
DeleteIt works. Bravo.
ReplyDeleteThanks. As the author, I may be hyper-critical of my ooems sometimes. The "rules" I have imposed for these poems is often very frustrating because I can't say things the way I want to say them. sometimes, I rewrite the poem later using my own words instead of the reporter's words.
DeleteI heard someone on TV say that this decision to take away the last Sunday of early voting backfired on Republicans. One, it made people more determined to vote. Two, it moved "Souls to the Polls" to last Sunday, ahead of Cyclone Sandy. The storm might have prevented some of those "souls" from voting this upcoming Sunday, but now their votes are "in the bank."
ReplyDelete