Political Anxiety
People in my neighborhood are friendly.
Greeting each other on the street.
I called to a woman walking her dog, how are you?
She replied, Better today. I didn’t watch the news.
As if she were recovering from an illness.
She’s not the only one shunning news.
Out of anxiety.
Fear.
Despair.
Worry democracy itself is on the ballot.
In upcoming midterms.
Tired of hearing Trump’s assertions.
That he won the 2020 election.
Elections are fraudulent.
Tired of watching pop up candidates.
Across the country.
Mimicking his beliefs.
Like marionettes.
Tired.
Just plain tired of political division.
Information overload.
Twitter. Parler. Truth social.
Emails. Texts. Cable.
Tik Tok. Podcasts. FaceTime.
No wonder people seek escape.
Sanctuary.
Calm.
Away from warring parties.
Brash candidates.
Threatening messages.
As for me, I stay informed.
Seek solace, too.
Vote to uphold democracy.
Extremism eschew.
When my body grumbles,
rebels and says: No more,
I stretch my legs walking.
Knead dough, my soul restore.
Lynn Benjamin
October 19, 2022