Following politics drains me.
Maybe more in an election year.
When one candidate spends weeks in court.
Insisting he didn’t interfere with an election.
Taking credit for the overthrow of Dobbs.
Robbing women of fifty years of rights.
I just want to unplug.
Take a break.
But today, not possible.
Politics unbidden comes to me.
To my neighborhood.
After a week of logistic preparation.
Secret service scoping out the venue.
Cordoning off the area.
Closing the gymnasium at Salus.
Where I take classes.
Building tents, a stage.
Providing an enormous police presence.
Armored car, sharp shooter on a roof.
To protect the Vice President, her entourage.
Excitement mounts, palpable.
Till Kamala Harris arrives.
To discuss healthcare for women.
Loss of reproductive rights.
To an audience of like-minded constituents.
I’m not invited to hear the speech.
But, it’s easy to locate on line.
Listening, I agree with her.
Wishing undecided voters would tune in, heed.
Though the message well-articulated,
beliefs against women die hard.
So I suppose a talk like this
keeps the faithful on gender guard.
Lynn Benjamin
May 10, 2024
