Poem From The Pandemic #293
#Poemfromthepandemic, #galacticfrontera
January 6, 2021
Today there was poetry in the air.
From the peach state two visions were realized.
Two senators made history in their state.
We are a country who celebrates these moments.
A minister became Georgia’s first black senator.
The pulpit from which he read scripture
was in the church of Martin Luther King.
Today was the realization of a hopeful dream.
The other senator reached another pinnacle.
In this country that is evolving,
Georgians elected a 33 year old.
He is the youngest senator ever elected.
Today there was poetry in the air.
This was the day that the vice president stood tall.
Finally rebuking the president’s unconstitutional wish.
And doing it in writing, so that his words weren’t misconstrued.
Today there was poetry in the air.
The senate majority’s speech was civic eloquence.
Senator Romney’s directive celebrated the truth.
This was a seminar in the solemnity of democracy.
Therein lies the problem.
Down the street there was a storm brewing.
This president doesn’t share the limelight well.
He is consumed by the tempest in his mind.
His speech repeated his twisted narrative.
He incited his followers with still another lie.
He told them that he would march with them.
But instead he slinked back and watched the chaos.
The rest of the scene was a primer on privilege.
Barricades were pushed back.
The minions cloaked themselves in flags.
They mocked the halls of our hallowed government.
The rest of the afternoon was unsettling.
Image after image confirmed the reality.
The law and order president was about neither.
His video was further proof that he was unhinged.
This is the moment when the poetry emerged again.
For today was the day of liberation.
Today the bully went one bridge too far.
And his shameful act of selfishness was too much to bear.
Once the sessions began there was retreat from the objectors.
The tedious process of formalizing the votes of the people proceeded.
Sometime in the morning the process will conclude.
Democracy will have withstood this charade.
The silver lining in this day for me occurred at a gas station.
Parked next to me was a white truck with two flags.
The truck’s owner looked me straight in the eye.
It was same look of defiance seen earlier at the Capitol.
He wanted me to say something. They are always ready to pick a fight.
Today’s gift was this. You can keep the other flag.
But you are no longer are the sole owner of the American Flag.
And we no longer will let you claim it.
Today we are the patriots.
We have embraced the process of our democracy.
We believe in the peaceful transition of power.
And we pledge allegiance to the ideals of our flag.
We don’t pledge allegiance to a man.
This is the poetry of this day.
