Election Woes

Have you ever had a hard time processing feelings or emotions before? For me, when I have a lot of overwhelming feelings, I tend to try to express them in writing, usually in the form of a short poem. I have been writing these off and on for a few years now and it is only recently after much pushing and prodding by friends and family that I have decided to start publishing some of them here on Medium.

My poem today is about the current U.S. Presidential election and all the emotions surrounding it. If you like it, feel free to read further on where I will break down some of the thoughts and reasoning that went into the poem.

Election time is here once more
Time to hear empty promises galore
As the candidates fight just as before
I struggle over just who to vote for

Do I choose the racist or the pedophile
The narcissist or the possibly senile
Both parties spout nothing but bile
And are plastered full of fake smiles

And the passions of the people, so full of hate
Regardless of which I choose, I’m a enemy of the state
You’re either a racist or a terrorist, depending on where you land
Well I choose neither, it’s time to make my stand

The two party system should be long dead
Yet the politicians bicker on and on instead
Forcing everyone to vote for one party or the other
I’d throw them all out if I had my druthers

Today’s politics are useful to no one
They drive a wedge between mother and son
Long standing friendships soon become denied
Swallowed up in the great political divide

It’s time to reassess what is important my friends
The toxic vitriol has to come to an end
Understand that not everyone follows in your exact path
And that’s okay, you can stay your wrath

So if someone’s beliefs hurt no one else
You can remain friends in spite of yourselves
Our differences are what make our world fun
Keep that in mind before insulting someone

And in the end vote whichever way you choose
It matter not in the end, who wins and who will lose
These things have a tendency to work themselves out
As long as people respect each other, of that I have no doubt.

© Jared Denstad

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I hope you enjoyed that poem. A lot of the problems I see nowadays both online and in person is how intolerable people are when it comes to their political beliefs, regardless of what side they may fall on. I wanted to try to convey that while everyone may believe different things, we are all of the same community, the same country, the same world, regardless of political affiliations.

I tend to think that some of that has been lost in today’s modern high tech world. Maybe if people took the time to actually hear out and consider other people’s concerns and beliefs before jamming their own down other’s throats or writing people off as “snowflakes” or “racists”, this country wouldn’t be as divided as it currently is. I personally do not care what way my friends or family vote in the upcoming election, nor do I care if they vote at all. That choice is for them to make, and I will respect them for that choice, even if I do not personally agree with it myself. Because that is what grown men and women do.

I hope you enjoyed this poem and short discussion. It has long been a dream of mine to be a published author, and this is a step in that direction. If this gets a good response, it is my hope to continue providing more poems in the future, on a wide variety of subjects and tones. Thank you all for your attention and may your day be an excellent one.