ruminate, animate, sublimate, repeat.
when memories die
you find them dry, paper thin,
like leaves bent beneath your soles-
because the day’s demands force you on top of each,
just to step.
imagine them green and attached,
they appear as a photograph
rather than a feeling between your fingers
or your lips.
we have the facts and we're voting yes
it rained on election day this year, slightly, enough for my umbrella to stutter awkwardly on the walk to the polls. decidedly, extra precautions can sometimes lead to excess baggage, and excess baggage can sometimes hamper progress... as evidenced by the sunken edges of my ballot against the damp plastic umbrella.
like the process itself, my best efforts turn bittersweet.
I admit, this was my first vote. I did not vote during the presidential election, even though I lied and told everyone that I did.
(yes, I am ashamed at my behavior, I think about it like taking my calcium supplements- I wasn’t before and that was wrong, however I am now and I will make a concerted effort from this point forward now that I am fully aware of the dire consequences of neglecting such responsibilities).
besides, voting didn’t feel right in Florida the way it does here. Hanging chads aside, it doesn’t even smell like democracy there. so, tonight, behind my curtain, I anxiously bubbled my ovals afraid that if I pressed too hard I would take down the whole stand and if I didn’t press hard enough, my votes could be lost in the machine.
and even though I showed proper identification, I felt like a different person, a person that I might rather be tomorrow and maybe even the next day.
