Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Election Day

Today I'm thankful for my right to vote, in secret ballot. And I offer you some more Whitman:


Election Day, November, 1884
by Walt Whitman


If I should need to name, O Western World, your powerfulest scene and
show,
'Twould not be you, Niagara--nor you, ye limitless prairies--nor
your huge rifts of canyons, Colorado,
Nor you, Yosemite--nor Yellowstone, with all its spasmic
geyser-loops ascending to the skies, appearing and disappearing,
Nor Oregon's white cones--nor Huron's belt of mighty lakes--nor
Mississippi's stream:
--This seething hemisphere's humanity, as now, I'd name--the still
small voice vibrating--America's choosing day,
(The heart of it not in the chosen--the act itself the main, the
quadriennial choosing,)
The stretch of North and South arous'd--sea-board and inland--
Texas to Maine--the Prairie States--Vermont, Virginia, California,
The final ballot-shower from East to West--the paradox and conflict,
The countless snow-flakes falling--(a swordless conflict,
Yet more than all Rome's wars of old, or modern Napoleon's:) the
peaceful choice of all,
Or good or ill humanity--welcoming the darker odds, the dross:
--Foams and ferments the wine? it serves to purify--while the heart
pants, life glows:
These stormy gusts and winds waft precious ships,
Swell'd Washington's, Jefferson's, Lincoln's sails.

4 comments:

Queen Goob said...

"...the paradox and conflict.."

How perfect is that?

I voted this morning and believe it or not it took all of ten minutes.

Leah said...

I know, I love that poem so much...I waited on line for an hour this morning...it was sort of exciting.

Anonymous said...

I was watching The Daily Show last night, and the guest was a Political Historian. She was saying that back when Thomas Jefferson was running for Prez, his opponent called him a 'howling hermaphrodite.' And we thought the political ads these days were bad...YIKES!

I also am VERY THANKFUL to all those who fought and died for my right to vote. I may be apathetic about the choices we have, but I will always fight for my (and everyone else's) right to vote!

Thanks for that poem. It was awesome!

Walker said...

The right to vote is one of our greatest freedoms and we get to do it with fear of what the next person knows what you think if you don't want them to know.
Thank you for stopping by