The morning after the polls
closed, it drizzled, a cold pervasive
grey over the city of dessicated
chicken bones and smack junkies.
But even the ancient black man
who owned the corner, his perpetual
yard sale of boosted goods, boomed
Hallaluahs and parsed out peace
signs to passing cars for free.
My president, too; but I could
not lay the same claim.
***
Prompt - City
The day after the 2008 elections, Baltimore beamed. This is a hard-scrabble place, at least where I work, and for the people of a predominantly black inner city, the joy of finding a black man in the presidential office was palpable.
Peace, Linda
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Nice, Linda. You expressed what many felt and saw that day. :)
ReplyDeleteDeborahB
I like the contrast of pure joy against the grit and grey backdrop. Nice.
ReplyDeletePerhaps, without even trying, you painted a world that was supposed to be without "color".
ReplyDeleteAlas, news of late seems, we're not as color blind as we would claim.
I found notes for this poem written last year on my birthday (this month). I remember the day after Obama won the election, everyone in this battered city was elated. Even through the rain, smiles and laughter were bright as sunshine. Where I work is depressed and depressing all the other days. Peace, Linda
ReplyDeleteI dug this one so very much. Short. Simple. Effective. Powerful.
ReplyDelete