Two years later

Nearly two years ago, I wrote a poem trying to capture my feelings about the outcome of the November 8, 2016 election. It didn't, not quite.

It's a toned-down, polite, almost family-friendly version of those feelings. It mutes the rage, the fury, the...everything. But it made a point: in two years, there would be another opportunity. Another chance to make up for the great American fuck-up of 2016.

And that chance is here. Now. Already, for some. November 6, 2018 for the rest of us. Those who decided to stay at home can get off the couch and march to the voting booth. Those who sent a "message" to Hillary Clinton with their vote in 2016 can send another message that says "Well, for Christ's sake, this isn't what I wanted!" Those who voted to go "BUST" can reflect on two years of their victory and see if they've had enough. And those who voted for Trump can start to make amends for their mistake - or can go to Hell.

Trump isn't on the ballot. But as he himself has said, Trump is on every ballot. Any Republican who is still a Republican is a proxy for Trump. Any Republican elected to Congress is another opportunity for the Party of Trump to control committee assignments and Congressional investigations. The only way to start to bring the Trump occupation to an end is to vote Republicans out and Democrats in. Will America choose to undo its fuck-up next week?


(originally posted December 1, 2016)

Some thoughts on the outcome of the 2016 U.S. General Election

America, you fucked up.

Two hundred and forty years since you declared your independence,
seventy-five years since you joined a war against fascism,
you turn around and hand your country to Fascists.
Not just the presidency, no, that wan't enough.
You gave them the congress, both damn houses
and threw in the Supreme Court to boot.

Trump voters, I ain't even mad at you.
Not much, anyway.
(Well, that's a lie.)
Fish gonna swim, birds gonna fly,
folks like you gonna do what folks like you gonna do.
You won. You own this.
For the next four years, whatever happens is on your head.

Busters? Hey, I liked Bernie, a lot.
I was gonna vote for him in the primary.
Then I got a look at some of the crap y'all were posting.
You swore up and down that Hillary would never win.
And guess what? You did it! All those "dank memes" paid off!
Congratulations!
Now what?

Stein and Johnson voters?
Yeah, you tried real hard.
Too bad your candidates didn't win.
Did you really think they had a chance?
Or were you just making some sort of noble gesture?
Well, you did your part for the cause.
You helped get Trump in office.

Stay-at-homes?
Boy, you had it tough.
Sit on your ass instead of stand on your feet.
You could have made a difference.
Instead, you just stepped aside and let Trump win.
You get the most blame of all.
You did nothing, and let evil triumph.

The rest of us?
You're probably as tired and pissed-off as I am.
We can't just crawl in a hole and hide.
Two years til we can take back congress.
Two more after that til we're done with this jackhole.
We've gotta fight, and keep fighting
and remind everybody else
that even if they fucked up this time
they get a chance to atone for what they've done.