Poem for Tuesday

Pledge
By Elizabeth Powell

Republic, your cool hands
On my schoolgirl shoulders.
Not sure what allegiances meant
Until the vows were held by heart,
By memory, by rote, by benign betrothal.
Republic, you were mine, I knew
Because of Mother's religious pamphlets:
Lindsay for Mayor.
McGovern for President.
How to Register Voters.
I didn't ever want to go to school
On Saturdays. The baby-sitter said
If Nixon won, I'd have to go. Me,
Your most cherished child bride.
I wanted a white communion dress
Like the ones the Catholic girls wore.
Republic, you know I wanted to play
Cards with Mother. Mother smoking
Marlboros, watching Watergate all week.
Citizen Mother all consumed at that confessional.
I liked the name Betsy Ross.
I liked the idea of sewing flags.
I liked the tattered textbook about the colonies.
So tender, so tender. My Republic,
I am pledged by my childish troth
So strangely to you.

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The wonderful wrote me Snape/Lupin fluff! And even though I requested fluff, it's semi-serious lovely funny fluff. Everyone go read it and tell her to write more of this pairing. Also, wrote "Enough" (also SS/RL) for someone else but I am pimping it anyway, particularly since she gave it the ending I wanted. I love happy post-OOTP SS/RL -- I can't help it. And speaking of Snupin, happy birthday and sorry I'm late!

Spent a quiet afternoon and evening with my in-laws; for an hour all of us worked on a big animal puzzle together, then we went out for Chinese food (yes, this is a popular theme with them), and then we watched ancient home movies only recently transferred to DVD. Two weeks from now, they are taking their trailer and departing for the west coast for nearly four months, so we are trying to spend time with them while we can. Maximus the groundhog was unfortunately nowhere to be seen, as there was a cat wandering through the backyard, and there was an amazing sunset on the way to dinner but I didn't bring my camera, to my regret.

You all know what day it is. US residents, I don't have to tell you to go vote. I don't have to tell you how important it is, how much is at stake and how close the poll results are. I don't have to tell you that the lines may be long and you may be harrassed or faced with shenanigans, missing your lunch hour or dealing with public transportation or whatever it takes to get you to the polls. Please, do it anyway. "The future of this republic is in the hands of the American voter" -- Dwight D. Eisenhower.