August 8: Voting Day, Walt Whitman, "For You O Democracy"

Today is voting day.  After work, I drove over to my precinct, presented my driver's license, and was handed my ballot.  It was the first time I have voted since the presidential election, when I stood in line to vote for Hillary Clinton.  At the time, I was confident that I would wake up on November 9 to the news that my country had elected a woman as President of the United States.  I was sure.

Now, my confidence in our electoral process is a little shaken.  Not that I think Russia cares about millage issues and state primaries.  But I lost a little faith in my fellow citizens on that November morning.  I lost faith in the American experiment started over 225 years ago by a bunch of dead white guys.

I still have hope in democracy.  Otherwise, I wouldn't have voted today.  I believe that wrongs are eventually made right, lies are exposed, criminals are brought to justice.

Saint Marty believes that democracy will endure in the United States.  Somehow.

For You O Democracy

by:  Walt Whitman

Come, I will make the continent indissoluble,

I will make the most splendid race the sun ever shone upon,

I will make divine magnetic lands,

                   With the love of comrades,

                      With the life-long love of comrades.

I will plant companionship thick as trees along all the rivers of America, and along the shores of the great lakes, and all over the prairies,

I will make inseparable cities with their arms about each other’s necks,

                   By the love of comrades,

                      By the manly love of comrades.

For you these from me, O Democracy, to serve you ma femme!

For you, for you I am trilling these songs.

November 1: Presidential Election, Poet of the Week, Walt Whitman, "For You O Democracy"

One week until the presidential in the United States.  Seven days until, hopefully, the insanity ends and some kind of normalcy returns.  Of course, that is predicated on who actually wins next Tuesday.

In honor of this exercise in democracy, I have chosen Walt Whitman as Poet of the Week.  Whitman, poet of wordless, voice of the voiceless.  He saw the country at its worst, torn apart by slavery, war, and racism.  And he wrote about it, beautifully.

Saint Marty finds some comfort in his words right now.

For You O Democracy

by:  Walt Whitman

Come, I will make the continent indissoluble,

I will make the most splendid race the sun ever shone upon,

I will make divine magnetic lands,

                   With the love of comrades,

                      With the life-long love of comrades.

I will plant companionship thick as trees along all the rivers of America, and along the shores of the great lakes, and all over the prairies,

I will make inseparable cities with their arms about each other’s necks,

                   By the love of comrades,

                      By the manly love of comrades.

For you these from me, O Democracy, to serve you ma femme!

For you, for you I am trilling these songs.