c. 2020 Rod Ice
All rights reserved
(10-20)
Note to Readers:
Grandma McCray used to write poems, particularly about rural living,
faith, and politics. She nurtured my lifelong interest in the theater
of elected officials competing against each other. The four-year
cycle of a national vote revives such memories. As I sit at my desk,
I imagine her looking over my shoulder, with a smile.
VOTE YOUR
CONSCIENCE
Vote your
conscience, I’ve been told
Since childhood
days of yore
Your choice for
higher office
Should come
straight from the core
Vote your
conscience, I have heard
The best is yet
to come
Choose your
selection wisely
Be a good citizen
Democracy dies in
darkness
Darkness fears
the light
Spark the torch
of liberty
With the power of
your rights
Democracy dies
from neglect
Neglect brings
cruelty
Evil feasts on
silence
Fight the good
fight, proudly
Vote your
conscience, this makes sense
Don’t just take
direction
Raise your hand
in defiance
And the freedom
of this nation
Vote your
conscience, I believe
To move you must
be moving
Stay safe through
shared sacrifice
Keep yourself
keen and thinking
The voter’s
prayer comes before
This sacred act
of hope
A rally ‘round
the ramparts
Duty for the soul
The voter’s
prayer comes again
After this act of
choosing
Knelt in a
reflective pose
While the Liberty
Bell is ringing
ELECTION DAY
Election Day
Not far away
Choosing
champions from the herd
Riding words
So much to decide
You’ll go left
or right
In that we
delight
Every four years
It’s a bullet
between the ears
Choosing choices
Clenched fists
And raised voices
Where’s the
menu for this Mulligan Stew
I say it to you
We’ve got work
to do
Work, work
Get funky, do the
hurky jerk
These are the
perks
Democracy is a
mystery
One party rule
makes illegitimate power
But two, oh boy
That rules the
hour
Step right up
With your tin cup
Make the choice,
a corporatocracy
Or the Proud Boys
Make some noise
Knives out of the
sheath
Air burns with
heat
It’s you or me
What’s it gonna
be?
Rip and roar
With the media
whores
Preaching pundits
prance
Do the Safety
Dance
You’ve got one
chance
Right or left
Don’t forget
Lincoln or
Roosevelt
The Hollywood
elite
Or the Bible Belt
What’s that
smell?
There’s a fire
at city hall
The empire is
about to fall
Heed the call
Drinking whiskey
from a soda can
This is a
four-year plan
To set up a
government
Where the
harrumphing hilltoppers
Give their
consent
Swinging
ball-peen hammers
Stutter and
stammer
The American
people have spoken
Yet the clock is
still broken
Nevermore
We’re in line
at the megastore
Queue up with
your sippie cup
Thrice cursed
This is the worst
But you’ll soon
feel relief
To be again on
your knees
Feel the breeze
In the space of
your head
Brain-burned
Left for dead
There’s a calm
on the water
When the pond
goes full
From political
fodder
Listen to sons
and daughters
They’re the
voices of tomorrow
Crying anguish of
sorrow
When the gods go
broken-hearted
This creation
story they started
Has gone seedy
Overgrown and
weedy
Thistles prick
Citizens go sick
Leaders promise a
quick fix
But in the end
This pair of old
men
Will do it again
Point fingers in
haste
Let the moment go
to waste
There’s egg on
your face
Who won the race?
The blue ribbon
falls
Damn it all!
This dreamscape
rips like Superman’s cape
Get out the duct
tape
Hey, hey, hey
Fix that frock
Darn those super
socks
The man of steel
Needs to take the
wheel
Moses threw in
the laundry
When Babylon fell
into the sea
Mercy me!
There’s a sun
on the horizon
New day dawning
over the mountains
But it looks
quite pale
American dream
gone stale
Same old quips
Another package
of greatest hits
Moldy oldies
Silver and
goldies
Pomp and
pageantry
A curse on the
breeze
I’ll tell you,
friend
You’re the
chooser
Wish I was a
boozer
A stiff drink
would help me think
While I watch the
debates
And tug on
Superman’s cape
S. O. S.
This ain’t the
sound of success
It’s a cry of
fatigue
From the Atlantic
City Boardwalk
To the ocean
breeze
Off the coast of
Cali
Vote for me!
Let it be!
GRANDMA
Grandma’s
voting for Biden
It’s a choice
she’s made before
Like buying
Miracle Whip instead of mayonnaise
At the grocery
store
Dad’s pick at
the ballot box
Goes by the name
of Don
He says that
Christians must be strong
There’s a riot
going on
Uncle Spitz says
any choice that fits
Is better than
the rest
Coronavirus USA
Has put us to the
test
Aunt Francine
wanted Bernie
She said ‘Give
him the switch!’
Medicare and a
government lair
Paid for by the
rich
Cousin Creed said
‘Let it bleed!’
There’s a
chance it could be right
If we stuff votes
for Jorgensen
It’ll keep us
up all night
Nephew Sam in a
rocking chair
He’s high on
mountain dew
Votes get counted
with the goats
And pots of
possum stew
Grandma’s made
her choice
She don’t need
a pep talk now
Roosevelt was her
hero
In the country,
milking cows
Grandpa says only
fools decide
To throw their
votes away
He’s speaking
out for Trump again
On Election Day
Niece Eileen
liked Jill Stein
Much more than
Hillary
This year she‘ll
vote for Hawkins
Says it ain’t
easy being Green
Nephew Jake says
‘For goodness sake!’
He’s voting
with a blindfold
And a dartboard
on the wall
Politics is
getting old
Grandma’s
voting for Biden
She’s a
Democrat through and through
Before the sunset
comes
It’s what she
wants to do
Grandpa says
‘MAGA me!’
He’ll choose
the orange man
Cast his vote for
the reality star
With the spray-on
tan
I
trust that Grandma McCray would be proud.
Comments about
‘Words on the Loose’ may be sent to: icewritesforyou@gmail.com
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